MidWest
Despite Declines, Ohio Tourism Strong
August 17, 2010
Although it expected and experienced declines in sales and jobs last year, Ohio's tourism industry nonetheless generated a positive return on investment in 2009, according to the Ohio Department of Development, which released the state's latest tourism numbers earlier this year.
According to the numbers, part of research conducted by Tourism Economics and Longwoods International on behalf of the Ohio Tourism Division, Ohio last year reported an 8.8 percent decline in tourism sales and a 3.3 percent decline in tourism jobs. At the same time, however, the state grew its number of overnight leisure trips by 6 percent and its tourism marketing ROI by 8 percent. The Ohio Tourism Division's 2009 paid consumer marketing efforts generated approximately $360 million in new visitor spending and brought Ohio a return of $13 in state and local taxes for every $1 invested in tourism; the ROI in 2008 was $12.
"Growth in Ohio's number of overnight leisure trips and an increase in return on investment generated by our marketing programs are affirmations of what our state's tourism industry has to offer travelers," State Tourism Director Amir Eylon said in a statement. "As expected, we experienced slight decreases in visitor spending, but the research confirms that our state's industry partners and the Ohio Tourism Division had the right message and marketing mix; and consumers responded."
All told, Ohio's tourism industry last year sustained nearly 437,000 full-time equivalent jobs with a total income of $10 billion, contributed $36 billion in total sales, and brought in $2.5 billion in state and local taxes. The state recorded approximately 171 million visits, 33.4 million of which included an overnight stay.
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