BuckeyeLine

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.

Pow Wow Provides Forum to Sell Ohio Travel to International Audiences

The U.S. Travel Association’s International Pow Wow, held in Miami May 16 – 21, brought together more than 3,500 destination marketers across the country along with tour operators and media from around the world. With nearly every state and most major U.S. attractions attending, representatives from Ohio included the Tourism Division and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

Media appointments were extremely productive, with many high-profile international and domestic media interested in exploring travel stories in Ohio. Media from Canada, the UK, Germany, Australia, Mexico, Japan and more showed interest in the Buckeye State. Appointments with tour operators were down from last year, when the conversion rate was more favorable and the world economy was better. Still, several meetings with operators from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and France produced promising relationships. The trend of independent fly-drive packages continues to grow.

The event also featured a keynote speech from U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. The fact that this was his first public industry speech bodes well for the travel industry. Locke announced that his priorities for the U.S. Travel Industry include easing visa wait times for international travelers, making the visitor experience friendlier at points of entry and supporting a national effort at tourism marketing.

Leads are available from Joe Vargo at joe.vargo@development.ohio.gov.

Tourism Cares Awards Grant to Dayton History and Newcom Tavern

Tourism Cares, the non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the travel experience for future generations, awarded $45,000 in grants to six non-profit organizations as part of its Worldwide Grant Program for spring 2009, including Dayton’s Newcom Tavern. With matching funds from all recipients, a total of $90,000 will be presented to the organizations for projects containing a mix of sustainable tourism, cultural and heritage interpretation, preservation and restoration projects.

Tourism Cares distributes Worldwide Grants three times a year to worthy non-profit organizations worldwide. Among these organizations is Dayton History for the Newcom Tavern Conservation Project. Dayton History is the parent organization of Carillon Historical Park. The park is a unique historical museum complex of 24 buildings, situated in a beautiful 65-acre site in the heart of Dayton. Among the buildings stands the one of the region’s oldest and most popular tourist attractions, the Newcom Tavern. Built in 1796, it was an amazingly early historic preservation project.

This important heritage tourism site receives 143,000 visitors annually, 72 percent of which are groups. The Tourism Cares Worldwide Grant funding will support this unusual preservation education project to conserve the tavern using period tools and techniques. Congratulations!

Best Practices: Does your Web site Pass the Skim Test?

Online, readers don’t read; they scan. In fact, in one study, Jakob Nielsen (named the “guru of Web page usability” by the New York Times) found that the scannable version of a Web page was 47 percent more usable than an unscannable version. That’s a pretty huge ROI for some bullets and subheads.

To ensure you’re passing the skim test, follow these pointers:

• Understand and implement microcontent. The key to scannability is to make sure your Web visitors can understand the gist of the page by reading nothing but the microcontent. Microcontent is all those short bits of text that guide the user and provide an at-a-glance overview of what the page is about and includes headlines, decks, subheads, links, lists, bold-faced lead-ins and highlighted key words. To make sure your page is scannable, run the skim test on your copy. That is, make sure your Web visitors can get the gist of your page — without reading the paragraphs.

• Embed Your Messages in Microcontent. To pass the skim test, make sure your main points come through in your microcontent. Place your main idea in the headline and deck, or one-sentence summary under the headline. Major points should be placed in the subheads. Place any minor points in the links, bold-faced lead-ins and highlighted keywords.

• Test Your Copy. Now, have a colleague read just the microcontent: the headline, deck, subheads, links, lists, bold-faced lead-ins and highlighted keys words. Your co-worker should be able to understand your key points — without reading the paragraphs. If he/she does, your page is ready to post; if not, keep working to craft microcontent that lifts your key points off the screen.

Tech Corner: Utilizing Flickr

You've heard the old saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words," many times. That phrase is especially true in tourism marketing. While we can tell people about the great places to visit in Ohio, showing them what you have to offer makes all the difference.

Flickr is a free photo and video sharing Web site that has great social media marketing potential. After setting up a free Flickr account at www.flickr.com, you're able to upload photos and video clips of your destination to share with visitors literally around the world.

Even more importantly, you can use your social media marketing skills to connect with other Flickr members. Remember, the key to social media—whether it be on Flickr, Facebook, Twitter or any other channel—is to be a part of the conversation. Setting up an account and posting your photos and videos is just the start. Following are a few tips for using your Flickr account:

• Consider using your organization name as your username for your account.

• Be sure your profile page is complete and includes links to all your Web sites.

• Optimize your photos/videos with titles, tags, geotags (mapping info) and, when appropriate, a description.

• Upload quality photos (and videos) on a regular basis. Don't just upload photos when you first create your account and forget about it. Like all social media channels, you have to stay involved.

• Organize your content into sets. Visitors will appreciate being able to easily locate new photos and videos they’re interested in.

• Begin building your Flickr contacts by inviting your co-workers, friends, etc. to join you on Flickr. Comment on others' photos/videos to build relationships on Flickr.

• Include a link to your Flickr account on all your other Web sites.

• Join a Flickr group, or a few. Remember, don't just add photos—become a part of the conversation. Just use the "Search" box to find groups you want to be a part of (by the way, if you haven't joined our Discover Ohio Travel group yet, be sure to do so).

• Start your own group. If there's an area in which you're an expert, and there's not already a group, here's your chance. But be aware of the time and responsibility involved in administering a group.

• Last but not least, do not try to sell products or services using Flickr. Your account will be deleted!

If you have any questions or comments, contact Roger Barker at Roger.Barker@development.ohio.gov or (614) 466-5158.

Where in the World

May 30 – June 1: Joe Vargo hosting German press trip in Holmes County and Columbus
June 2: Amir Eylon and Tammy Brown speaking/attending the North American Travel Journalists Association Conference and Marketplace in Cleveland
June 4: Amir, Alicia Reece and Eric Herzog at Toolbox Town Hall Meeting in Knox County at The Place at The Woodward in Mt. Vernon
June 4: Jessie Wagner at North American Travel Journalists Association Conference and Marketplace in Cleveland
June 9: Amir, Alicia and Eric at Town Hall Meeting at the Inn at Cedar Falls, Logan
June 11: Amir and Eric at Town Hall Meeting at the Hayes Presidential Center, Fremont
June 18: Amir speaking to Delaware Co. Chamber of Commerce Luncheon Meeting
June 23 – 27: Joe hosting UK travel writers throughout Ohio
June 24: Amir, Alicia and Eric at Town Hall Meeting at the Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown
June 30: Amir speaking to Lorain County Membership Meeting in Amherst