BuckeyeLine

Cautious Optimism Continues for Ohio Leisure Travel

Greetings from the 29th Floor of the Riffe Center on a gorgeous July day that makes me wish I was composing this message from one of our many scenic destination points instead of my office! June has flown by so quickly, and I cannot believe that we are already in the middle of summer travel season.

This past month saw us wrapping up our late spring/early summer town hall meetings around Ohio. A special thanks to our entire host partners in Butler, Knox, Hocking, Sandusky and Mahoning Counties for providing terrific venues in which to interact and engage several hundred members of Ohio’s Tourism Industry! Our Spring/Summer main and multicultural ad campaigns also moved ahead at full steam this past month in our primary feeder markets. Initial metrics from these markets show a terrific initial response, which we look forward to converting into additional travel and visitor spending in Ohio this summer and fall. So far, our Web traffic alone is averaging a more than 50 percent increase over last year for the past two months since our campaign has begun. Key feeder market Web traffic has even crossed into triple-digit growth in some cases! Our message of affordable getaways within a close drive is really resonating well with audiences. The economic challenges combined with a desire to still get away are helping regional leisure drive markets like Ohio. While business travel declines are still significant, the leisure market is definitely our silver lining.

In my many travels around Ohio these past couple of months, I am so energized by the determination and passion of the many Industry members I encounter along the way. Whether it is a hotel clerk or the head of the company, everyone is focused on the job at hand: creating a memorable experience for the visitor in order to bring them back with friends. Great service and memorable offerings at a good value are paying off too! As I sift through travel sites and various social media outlets where people discuss their lives and travels, I am regularly seeing postings of folks who were lured to Ohio this spring and summer by a good marketing message or strong word of mouth, and are now bragging to everyone about their experience. Yes, there are still some challenges ahead for our Industry before the economy recovers, but the impressions we make sustain us now and reward us in the future as long as we exceed expectations. 

In addition to our ongoing marketing efforts, July is a 2010 planning month for the Ohio Tourism Division, during which we put together our menu of partnership opportunities for the next year. As of the writing of this message, the process to set the new biennial budget for the State of Ohio has yet to be completed. Rest assured that the delay in the budget has not stopped our planning processes. Our focus is still to provide a maximum return on investment for Ohio’s Tourism Industry and the citizens of Ohio by increasing visitor spending with the resources we are allocated. I wish to thank and recognize the entire Ohio Tourism Division team as well as our agency partners (advertising, public relations, multicultural, Web, etc…) for the extra effort put forth over the past few months to ensure another successful leisure travel marketing season. Everyone’s passion, innovation and dedication are part of what makes me so proud of this team. Combined with our Industry’s commitment to excellence, we can only succeed! 

Safe travels,

Amir

P.S. Congratulations to the cast and crew of “Trumpet in the Land.” Ohio’s longest running outdoor drama turned 40 on July 3, and I was honored and delighted to attend a very special performance with many returning alumni from the past 40 seasons. They are truly an example of passion in our Industry!

2010 Travel Planner Listing Deadline July 23

Be part of the 2010 Ohio Travel Planner! All Ohio travel and tourism entities are invited to submit/update their organization’s information in the Buckeye database by 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 23, to have your free listing considered for inclusion in the 2010 Ohio Travel Planner (400,000 printed). The planner is Ohio’s primary tourism information fulfillment piece and is sent to anyone requesting Ohio information from DiscoverOhio.com or 1-800-BUCKEYE.

If your database entry is current, there is no need to re-submit. Please review your entries to ensure information is current and accurate. Due to space limitations, not all listings submitted and approved will appear in the Travel Planner, however, all approved listings will be available on DiscoverOhio.com.

The planner features listings for convention and visitor bureaus and visitor service organizations, attractions, recreation, restaurants, lodging and shopping. Each listing includes business name in bold, address, city, ZIP code, phone number and Web address. Enhanced listings and advertising services may be purchased by contacting Jillian LaManna, Great Lakes Publishing advertising coordinator, at jlamanna@ohiomagazine.com or (216) 377-3655. The ad close date is Nov. 19.

Please be aware that the publisher, Great Lakes Publishing, will contact you via e-mail in late August asking you to verify that your listing is accurate before being printed in the Travel Planner. If the publisher does not receive a response, the information will not be published.

For questions regarding the Buckeye Database or to inquire about your listing, please contact Eric Herzog at eric.herzog@development.ohio.gov or (614) 466-0338, or Roger Barker at roger.barker@development.ohio.gov or (614) 466-5158.

Calendar of Events Listing Deadline Sept. 4

To have your Ohio event considered for inclusion in the printed 2010 Spring/Summer Ohio Calendar of Events (100,000 quantity printed), please submit/update your information in the Buckeye database by 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 5.

If your database entry is current, there is no need to re-submit. Please review your entries to ensure dates, phone numbers, etc. are accurate. The calendar will cover events that take place between March and August of 2010. Due to space limitations, not all events submitted and approved will appear in the printed calendar, however, all approved events will be available on DiscoverOhio.com. Please be aware that the publisher, Great Lakes Publishing, will contact you via e-mail in mid-Oct. asking you to verify that your listing is accurate before be printed in the Calendar. If the publisher does not receive a response, the information will not be published.

For assistance with submissions, please contact Eric Herzog at eric.herzog@development.ohio.gov or (614) 466-0338, or Roger Barker at roger.barker@development.ohio.gov or (614) 466-5158.

Log on to the Buckeye database today to add your spring and summer events.

Photos
We’re also looking for photos of your event to be considered for the printed calendar. The best are photos that show happy, smiling people enjoying their experience. We love action shots that aren’t blurry. Please visit www.glpublishing.com/imagelibrary to submit images.

Advertising
If you’re interested in advertising opportunities in the calendar, please contact your advertising representative or Jillian LaManna, Great Lakes Publishing Advertising Coordinator, jlamanna@ohiomagazine.com or (216) 377-3655. The ad close date is Thursday, Nov. 12.

Division Ad Campaign Recognized with Telly Awards!

The Tourism Division and Ron Foth Advertising have earned three Telly Awards for the 2008 Spring/Summer Ad Campaign. The 30-second spots featuring Jack Hanna and Ken Griffey, Jr. both received Bronze Telly Awards for commercials in the Travel/Tourism category. The Ohio Destination Video received a Silver Telly Award in the Travel/Tourism online video category! And of course, most importantly, these elements were part of a campaign that earned 12 state and local tax dollars for every dollar spent.

The Telly Awards is a program “honoring the very best: local, regional and cable television commercials, programs and segments.”  Congratulations to the Division’s Advertising Team and the incredibly talented partners of Ron Foth Advertising’s creative, media, and client services departments. To view the award-winning ads and video, visit DiscoverOhio.com or Discover Ohio’s channel on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/DiscoverOhioTravel.

Ohio Tourism Industry Loses Two Dedicated Partners

On Monday, June 8, 2009, the Industry lost a dedicated partner, Richard “Dick” Thomas. Dick was the co-executive director/co-founder of the Ohio River Trails and co-founder/manager of the Ohio River National Scenic Byway. Dick’s passion for the Industry was quite evident in his work and will never be forgotten.

Jeff Swanagan, who served a year as executive director of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, died on Sunday, June 28. During his first year, Swanagan oversaw final development of Zoombezi Bay and Jungle Jack's Landing, and allowed the public to share in the birth of an elephant named Beco, only the second elephant birth in the zoo's history.

On behalf of the Ohio Tourism Division, we are saddened to lose two amazing partners and will remember both Dick and Jeff for their dedication and passion to Ohio’s tourism industry.

Show Off Your Destination with Division B-roll Partnership Opportunities

The Division is offering Ohio Tourism Industry members the opportunity to participate in the Ohio B-Roll Library by selecting one of four packages. This partnership provides a negotiated flat-rate fee for a professional high-definition footage shoot in your area or at your tourism attraction(s). Additionally, your footage will be considered for addition to the Ohio B-Roll Library. Alternatively, you have the opportunity to have your existing B-Roll footage added to the Library for a nominal fee. The Division reserves the right to approve the content, length, and logging of clips added to Division’s Online B-Roll Library from B-Roll shoots and/or existing footage provided. In all cases, the footage on the Online B-Roll Library will be available at no charge to qualified media to promote Ohio as a leisure tourism destination. Permission to use footage may be purchased by entities that intend to use the footage other than to promote Ohio as a leisure tourism destination. A brief program overview followed by available packages, pricing for participation and links to PDFs of the agreement forms can be found on the Industry Web site. Please contact Aimee Zerla, aimee.zerla@development.ohio.gov or (614) 466-7993 if you have any questions.

Ohio Destination Video Available for Download

The Division’s recently created Ohio Destination Video is now available to be downloaded from the Public Relations section of the Industry Web site. The nearly 3-minute-long video is a terrific tool for Convention and Visitor Bureaus, meeting planners and others to visually showcase Ohio as “Too Much Fun for Just One Day.” Please feel free to download this video and pass it on to any associations or organizations considering bringing a conference, meeting, leisure event, etc. to Ohio or to companies or businesses in your area that may want to showcase their home state at a tradeshow. To download the video, right click on the word "Download" at the bottom of the page and select the “Save Target As” link. The amount of time the 29.2 MB Windows Media Video (WMV) file will take to download will depend on your Internet connection.

County Database Reports Available to CVBs

Convention and Visitor Bureaus are eligible to request a free report to see which travel entities from their respective counties have listings in the database. CVB personnel can then contact travel entities in their areas that aren’t in the database to encourage them to sign up. Only entities with active database listings are eligible for publication in the Division’s publications. To request a report, please contact Eric Herzog at eric.herzog@development.ohio.gov or (614) 466-0338.

Ohio Welcomes New State Scenic Byways Coor.

The Division congratulates Robert Young on his new position with the Ohio Department of Transportation. Robert will serve as the State Scenic Byways Coordinator, replacing Paul Staley. Many thanks to Paul for his partnership with the Ohio Tourism Industry and best of luck to him as he continues his career at ODOT. We look forward to a continued partnership with ODOT and the Scenic Byways program through with Robert. Please feel free to welcome Robert at robert.young@dot.state.oh.us.

Best Practices: Boomer Marketing—from American City Business Journals

Did you know that every 8.5 seconds, a baby boomer turns 50 years old? With 78 million members strong, the boomer market represents nearly a third of all adults in the county and is a market that cannot be missed.

Studies show the boomer market controls half of the nation’s wealth and spends nearly $2 trillion on consumer products and services every year. According to a McKinsey Quarterly report in 2007, boomers will account for about 40 percent of all spending by 2015.

The age group — 44 to 63 — is quite diverse and ranges from the affluent to the financially disadvantaged, but what they look for in products and services is very similar. Make sure you’re adhering to the following guidelines when getting your message out to this group:
• Calling this generation “seniors” can be construed as an insult.
• Boomers refuse to grow up. According to The Boomer Project, a marketing research and consulting firm in Virginia, boomers think old age starts between 75 and 80.
• Boomers see themselves as vibrant and active. They like trying new services and products (this counters the myth that they’re brand-loyal).
• This generation is very curious and like print advertising because they want a wealth of information; however, they also pay attention to new media (like social media) and will click on eye-catching Internet ads.
• Many boomers respond extremely well to experiential. They are attracted to products, services and experiences that make them feel special and pampered. This is especially so because many of them are likely to work an extra three to five years due to their hard-hit investments and pensions.

As a tourism entity, it’s important to keep up with this ever-growing generation. Boomers are redefining age and expectations in the travel industry, and it’s up to us to listen to them.

Tech Corner: Twitter’s Hashtag Marketing

The hashtag #ohiotravel can be a valuable tool in marketing your destination on Twitter.

If you are a regular Twitter user, you may already be familiar with hashtags. If you are new to Twitter, you’ve probably seen them but may have no idea what they are. Put simply, a hashtag is a word preceded by “#” used in your Tweets as a means of categorizing your messages.

The marketing aspect comes into play in that Twitter users can, and often do, search Tweets by commonly used hashtags. A user may search for #travel when looking for information on great travel deals – sometimes exclusively for Twitter users – or interesting destinations. Think of it sort of like search engine marketing, but with a twist.

As a community working together to promote a cause or event, such as Ohio tourism, common hashtags can be used very effectively. By including the tag in all relevant Tweets, you increase exposure to a wider audience for all participants. By everyone including #ohiotravel in their Tweets, we are able to create a common hashtag. Together, we harness the collective power of our industry to promote Ohio as a travel destination.

And finally, a word of caution: As always with social media, be careful not to become more of a blatant marketer than a participant. Including a few useful hashtags will get you noticed; making every word in your message a hashtag will get you labeled a spammer. Nobody likes a spammer, and the reputation can spread like wildfire.

For more information on hashtags, check out the Web 2.0 blog here.

Where in the World

July 3: Amir Eylon participating in Trumpet in the Land, 40th anniversary
July 8: Amir speaking to Pike County Chamber Luncheon at the Emmitt House, Waverly
July 13: Amir attending Fish Ohio Day on Lake Erie
July 15: Amir, Tammy Brown, Aimee Zerla and Jessie Wagner touring Fur Peace Ranch in Pomeroy
July 24: Celeste Krolak visiting Licking County for the CVB Experiential FAM Tour

Peak Leisure Travel Season = Planning Time at Ohio Tourism Division

The Spring/Summer Leisure Campaign is in full swing and I am happy to report that the initial responses via Web traffic, leads and inquiries are seeing solid growth over last year. As predicted, it does appear that 2009 is indeed a regional destination year for many travelers. As I write this, the next phase of the multicultural campaign is gearing up as well in key markets both in- and out-of-state. In addition, I have been impressed by the new cooperative efforts our partners around the state have begun in their marketing messages. I think that collectively, we are sending out a good message about Ohio being an affordable regional destination with a variety of experiences that are “hot buttons” for both families and empty-nesters. As always, we welcome your feedback as to what you are experiencing during the early months of our peak season.

Now that our campaign is in full execution mode, we are actually moving forward in our 2010 planning. While the process to pass the state’s budget continues, we still must prepare to prioritize our marketing efforts and partnership opportunities to develop for the next year. Our goal, as in 2008, is to present a full menu of partnership opportunities for members of Ohio’s Tourism Industry by mid-September so that you can incorporate what makes sense into your 2010 marketing plans. Over the next few months, our team will be meeting internally with our staff and key agencies and analyzing the research, consumer trends, recent campaign performance, industry feedback and a whole host of other sources of information to set our initial game plan for the next year. In fact, we began gathering some feedback just this past week as we started the latest of our Town Hall meetings series (see below for additional dates and a special thanks to our partners at the Butler County Visitors Bureau and the Savannah Center for hosting us last week). Our commitment is to deliver relevant opportunities in a timely manner to allow our partners a maximum amount of time to make informed decisions.

That being said, June is shaping up to be an exciting month of opportunities. From the North American Travel Journalists Association Conference in Cleveland at the beginning of the month to the various special events and gatherings happening across our state, it is a prime time to entice new visitors, while giving our current guests a few dozen reasons to come back this year.  In closing, I wish to once again thank all of our Industry partners who have worked tirelessly with us over the past several months to turn current challenges into opportunities: Thank You! Have a wonderful June!

Safe travels,

Amir

It’s not too Late to Register for Remaining June Town Hall Meetings!

The Ohio Tourism Division invites you to join State Tourism Director Amir Eylon for any of three remaining Town Hall Meetings in June (see schedule below). The purpose of the meetings is to introduce new tourism partnership opportunities. Come and learn how to get involved in our ongoing partnership with the Ohio National Guard to provide military discounts to Ohio's service men and women. And learn about the Ohio Tourism Toolbox, a one-stop, Web-based resource that will provide a library of information and links for current and prospective Ohio Tourism Industry members. We also will discuss the launch of InsiderOhio.com, a new social media content distribution mechanism that will cater to a young crowd seeking hip and happening experiences throughout Ohio.

Below are dates for upcoming Town Hall meetings. Please RSVP to Joy Doty (by dates indicated below) at Joy.Doty@development.ohio.gov and remember to indicate which session you plan to attend. We hope to see you at one of these events!

Southeast Ohio
Tuesday, June 9, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. - Noon
The Inn at Cedar Falls
21190 State Route 374
Logan, OH 43138
RSVP by Thursday, June 4

Northwest Ohio
Thursday, June 11, 2009, from 10:00 a.m. - Noon
Hosted by the Sandusky County CVB
Hayes Presidential Center
Spiegel Grove
Fremont, OH 43420
RSVP by Monday, June 8

Northeast Ohio
Wednesday, June 24, 2009 from 1 - 3:00 p.m.
Hosted by the Youngstown CVB
Butler Institute of American Art
524 Wick Ave.
Youngstown, OH 44502
RSVP by Friday, June 19

Division Seeking City/County Backgrounders for Web Site

The Division is busy updating the online Press Room. One of the sections we are in the process of updating is the City/County Backgrounders page. Here, members of the media can get better acquainted with the different cities and towns throughout Ohio. This is a great way to attract media looking for their next story idea by providing background information on attractions, local history, location, economy, etc. Think of it as an at-a-glance piece on your destination.

We are seeking a diverse representation of all the state’s wonderful destinations, and we would love to hear from you. If you have a city/county backgrounder that you’d like to submit for inclusion, please send your backgrounder as a PDF file to Public Relations Coordinator Jessie Wagner at jessie.wagner@development.ohio.gov by Monday, June 15. Even if you don’t have a city/county backgrounder already made up, please contact Jessie by the requested deadline and she will send you a template where you can fill in your own information and photos.

Group Tour Show Registration Deadlines

Registration for Student and Youth Travel Association’s Annual Convention is currently underway through June 19 to ensure prescheduled appointments.  SYTA is the premier event for the student and youth travel market and will take place Aug. 28 – Sept. 1 in Norfolk, Va.  Appointment scheduling will begin in early July, and preliminary appointment schedules will be available in August.  Positively Cleveland, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Lake Erie Shores and Islands and the Warren County CVB are currently registered. For more SYTA convention information, go to www.syta.com. Please note the deadline to submit any new student packages for 2010 or any new student-specific educational/performance images is June 29.

National Tour Association’s Annual Convention is Nov. 14 – 18 and will take place in Reno, Nev. Registration opened May 28 and runs through June 23 to ensure prescheduled appointments. DMOs in the new enhanced Destination Pavilion will have 10-minute appointments, and suppliers will have a new Fast-Pitch session to reach more buyers and build new partnerships. Appointment scheduling begins July 15, with preliminary appointment schedules available in late October. For more NTA convention information, go to www.ntaonline.com.

Ontario Motor Coach Association’s Annual Marketplace and Conference is Nov. 8 – 11 in London, ON, Canada. Registration opened June 1 and runs through mid-August to ensure prescheduled appointments. Appointment selection starts Sept. 8 with preliminary appointment schedules available Oct. 5. For more OMCA marketplace information, go to www.omca.com.

Please contact Celeste Krolak at celeste.krolak@development.ohio.gov if you’re interested in participating in any of these events.

2010 Ohio Travel Planner Listing Deadline Thursday, July 23

Be part of the 2010 Ohio Travel Planner! All Ohio travel and tourism entities are invited to submit/update their organization’s information in the Buckeye database by 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 23, to have your free listing considered for inclusion in the 2010 Ohio Travel Planner (400,000 printed).

If your database entry is current, there is no need to re-submit. Please review your entries to ensure information is current and accurate. Due to space limitations, not all listings submitted and approved will appear in the Travel Planner, however, all approved listings will be available on DiscoverOhio.com.

The planner features listings for convention and visitor bureaus and visitor service organizations, attractions, recreation, restaurants, lodging and shopping. Each listing includes business name in bold, address, city, ZIP code, phone number and Web address. Enhanced listings and advertising services may be purchased by contacting Jillian LaManna, Great Lakes Publishing advertising coordinator, at jlamanna@ohiomagazine.com or (216) 377-3655. The ad close date is Nov. 19.

Please be aware that the publisher, Great Lakes Publishing, will contact you via e-mail in late August asking you to verify that your listing is accurate before being printed in the Travel Planner. If the publisher does not receive a response, the information will not be published.

For questions regarding the Buckeye Database or to inquire about your listing, please contact Eric Herzog at eric.herzog@development.ohio.gov or (614) 466-0338, or Roger Barker at roger.barker@development.ohio.gov or (614) 466-5158.

Update from the Ohio Film Office

After helping re-establish the Ohio Film Office, Christina Grozik is no longer with the Ohio Department of Development. During the transition, Alicia Reece, Assistant State Tourism Director, has been named Interim Director of the Ohio Film Office. Please feel free to direct any production inquiries to alicia.reece@development.ohio.gov or (614) 995-4233. We thank Christina for her efforts and service to Ohio’s film and production industries.

WHTI Land and Sea Travel Requirements Take Effect, from the U.S. Travel Association

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) is a U.S. government program that established new travel document requirements for crossing the border to enter or re-enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean by land and sea beginning June 1. The goal of WHTI and the new requirements is to facilitate entry for U.S. citizens and legitimate foreign visitors, while strengthening U.S. border security. All United States, Canadian and Bermudian citizens are subject to the new requirements.

While the Department of Homeland Security has said publicly that it will allow some flexibility with regard to people having proper documentation when entering or re-entering our country, it's critical that all of us do what we can to help communicate the new requirements in order to avoid any travel disruptions.

Elevation, a company hired by the Department of Homeland Security, has created resources through a Web site to help communicate the new WHTI requirements. The Web site, www.GetYouHome.gov, provides free print and video resources, and a host of icons, widgets and other materials that can be used on organization and company Web sites. The Department of Homeland Security is to be commended for its public outreach efforts and using the expertise of the private sector to better spread the word about the new requirements.

Welcoming more international visitors to the country has to be a top priority in this down economy, and we support the WHTI as long as the program balances security with ease of travel across the border. Thanks for doing your part to help make this happen. U.S. Travel will continue to closely monitor WHTI implementation to make certain an appropriate balance is achieved.

Photos: A Valuable Addition to your Listing

Tourism marketing is very visual. While you may be able to paint a picture with wonderfully descriptive copy, nothing sells a destination like showing your potential customers exactly what you have to offer. Think of it as “show them and they will come” marketing mentality.

One of the best features of your free online marketing opportunity from the Ohio Tourism Division is the ability to add photos to your DiscoverOhio.com listings. Using our online submission process, you can upload photos that will appear directly on your listing detail page. Select a variety of professional shots that give visitors a good feel for exactly what they can expect when arriving.

And with some great photos and a link to your own Web site, you won’t need to spend a lot of time on your listing description. Remember, statistics prove that Web users are very visual, meaning they don’t like to read a lot of copy online. You’re better served by providing a nice, enticing tourism description of 75 words or so and some great photos, along with a link to your own site for more details and event information.

And with some DiscoverOhio.com features that we’ll be unveiling in the next few weeks, your listings will be more important than ever. In a new “Travel Ideas” section, we’ll feature outstanding listings that contain photos and Web-friendly tourism descriptions. Only listings with photos can be included in this new section, so be sure you’re covered.

Please contact Roger Barker at Roger.Barker@development.ohio.gov or (614) 466-5158 or Eric Herzog at Eric.Herzog@development.ohio.gov or (614) 466-0338 with questions.