Friday, May 07, 1999
Tristate tourism outlook thrilling
Animals, events pull in out-of-towners
BY KEVIN ALDRIDGE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Their names don't roll off the tongue as smoothly as Mickey and Minnie but zoo officials hope that “Stoneman” and “Douglas” will make just as big a splash with Ohio tourists.
The young manatees — the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden's newest residents — are swimming around the zoo's $4 million Manatee Springs exhibit, which opens May 22.
“We are starting to see the (economic) impact of the manatees already,” said Donna Oehler, director of marketing for the zoo. “Our (season ticket) sales so far are up 98 percent over this time last year. The manatees are something that no one else in the Midwest has, and they will be very popular with the public.”
Like the zoo, tourism sites across the Tristate have spent millions of dollars to develop more exciting and entertaining getaway options this year for Ohio's 66 million travelers. Di verse attractions in the Tristate are credited with boosting Greater Cincinnati's economy with $3.1 billion spent by 4.6 million tourists in 1998.
This year could be even better, industry sources suggest. New attractions, including Paramount's Kings Island's $40 million Action Zone theme area, the Oceanic Adventures Newport Aquarium and events such as Tall Stacks, the jazz festival, the Flying Pigs Classic marathon and the Riverfront Jamboree, are expected to bring flocks of tourists.
“I'm very enthusiastic about this year because of the number of attractions and events we have available,” said Joan Kaup, vice president for tourism and membership for the Greater Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau. “This should be another good year for us.”
The only potential dark cloud is road construction, especially the Fort Washington Way and Interstate 71 projects. Those “could play a role in whether or not Cincinnati is the first choice for a lot of people” because Ohio is “a driver's market,” she said, noting that 90 percent of tourists who visit the Tristate do so via automobile.
Tourism impact huge
In 1998, Southwest Ohio was the second-most-traveled area in the state in terms of leisure visits (following Cleveland), capturing one out of every four tourists and accounting for nearly 25 percent of the total state tourism pie.
Ohio tourists spent $14.3 billion last year, while the tourism industry generated $896 million in taxes. More than 389,000 jobs were associated with tourism, creating a payroll of more than $4.3 billion.
More than 66 million people visit Ohio tourist attractions yearly, according to the Ohio Division of Travel and Tourism. Of those, 53 percent live in Ohio. The majority of the remaining tourists come from Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Indiana.
“Tourism is a very important part of the state's economy,” said Scott Dring, spokesman for the Ohio Division of Travel and Tourism. “Our biggest draw is the wide variety of attractions we offer to visitors.
“We have an abundance of parks, festivals and historical sites, not to mention some of the world's best amusement parks and three major halls of fame. Not many other places can make that claim.”
He said Ohio tourism is being boosted by the fact that visitors are staying longer and returning more frequently.
“Most of the people who have been to Cincinnati return again and again,” Ms. Kaup said. “They come and they learn there is more here than they can possibly do in one weekend. That's why it is not unusual to have our visitors come back three or four times in one summer.”
Angel Vaughn, 22, of Columbus, said she travels to the Tristate about twice a year to visit friends and take in the local flavor.
“It's a tradition for me to come down every year and go to Kings Island at least once or twice,” she said. “Cincinnati is a nice place to get away to that's real close to home.”
Because Ms. Vaughn drives more than 50 miles to get to the theme park, she is considered a tourist, Ms. Kaup said. Cincinnati's tourism bureau defines a “tourist” as anyone who travels 50 miles or more to an attraction.
She said one focus of the bureau's regional marketing campaign is to target families who make more frequent weekend getaways closer to home.
“People today take more shorter trips, so they are more likely to take several three- or four-day weekends rather than one long seven- or eight-day trip,” she said. “By having a variety of attractions and events clustered in one region, we are positioning ourselves to capture a large number of those families.”
Marketing the Tristate
Immense brochure displays at the bureau's downtown offices tout sightseeing opportunities throughout the Tristate, including many of Cincinnati's weekend getaway packages. Marketing partnerships between the bureau and local tourism sites have resulted in increased advertising for the region.
“We are pooling our resources so that we can get the word out about Greater Cincinnati in areas that we normally couldn't reach individually,” said Ms. Kaup. “We currently have a number of different radio, TV and newspaper campaigns going on.”
“The statewide focus this year is to get more Ohioans to spend their vacations here, while continuing to entice out-of-staters to spend their travel dollars here as well,” Mr. Dring said.
He said location plays a big role in why Ohio is the sixth-most-visited state in the country.
“We are within 500 miles of 60 percent of the U.S. population,” he said. “So we are accessible to a very large number of people.”
Robyn Lane, executive director of the Warren County Convention and Visitors Bureau, knows all about the importance of location because there are so many tourism spots within 30 miles of Cincinnati.
“Warren County is getting more noticed out there in the tourism market today than a few years ago,” Mrs. Lane said. “We have a lot of unusual attractions and a number of well-known attractions that work together to bring people into the region.”
Caesar Creek State Park in Warren County — with its campground, boat launch and rustic Pioneer Village — beckons outdoor types who want a weekend in nature. Only seven miles away, tourists can rent canoes or bikes and explore the 60-mile Little Miami Scenic Trail, which parallels the Little Miami River.
At the county's newest attraction, the Dude Ranch at Ripple Creek Farm in Morrow, guests can take part in a cattle drive with authentic Texas Longhorn steers, go on a hayride or horseback riding. At Fort Ancient State Memorial, visitors see mounds built by ancient Indian cultures, while others can dine at Ohio's oldest inn, the Golden Lamb in Lebanon.
Sports fans can visit Mason to check out the ATP professional tennistournament or play 18 holes at the Golf Center at Kings Island.
New rides
Then there's Paramount's Kings Island.
The crown jewel of Warren County's tourist attractions expects to eclipse last year's attendance figures because of two new rides. Drop Zone, the world's tallest free-fall tower, and Face/Off, the Midwest's only inverted roller coaster, have been attracting thrill seekers since the park opened in mid-April.
“Tourism is Warren County's second-largest industry. Agriculture is No. 1,” Mrs. Lane said. Last year, more than 7,500 people were employed in the industry in Warren County. Tourism in the county generated $238 million in 1998, Mrs. Lane said.
The 1999 Tall Stacks is expected to attract 1 million visitors to the Cincinnati riverfront. In all, 19 boats from along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers will gather Oct. 13-17 for tours, harbor cruises, lunch and dinner cruises and races.
Park officials at Coney Island in Anderson Township hope the addition of a steel roller coaster — the Pepsi Python — will boost attendance when the park opens Memorial Day weekend. The coaster is the park's first since 1972.
Ky. outlook bright
Meanwhile, the future is bright for tourism in Northern Kentucky. Travelers spent in excess of $176 million there in 1998, up 8 percent from 1997.
“We are looking forward to another big year this year,” said Sherree Allgood, communications manager for the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Officials are hoping to draw schools of tourists — roughly 1 million — when the Newport Aquarium opens this month. Coupled with the World Peace Bell, a new Marriott hotel at RiverCenter and a second dock for B&B Riverboats, Northern Kentucky promises to be booming.
“We should begin to see a significant increase in the number of visitors once the aquarium opens,” Ms. Allgood said. “And hopefully once they are here they will stay to take in a ball game, sleep in a hotel, eat at a local restaurant or take in one of our other sites.”
In Southeastern Indiana, riverboat casinos have sparked new life in sleepy river towns. But the focus this year is to get tourists to visit more than just the casinos — Argosy in Lawrenceburg and Grand Victoria in Rising Sun.
Gamblers can visit nearby attractions such as the steeples of Oldenberg, the antiques shops in Metamora, the Chateau Pomije Winery in Guilford and Perfect North Slopes in Lawrenceburg.
“We need to get their attention that there are neat things to do if they put an extra day in their schedule,” said John Goss, director of Indiana Department of Commerce Tourism Division. “This is a tremendous time in southeastern Indiana.”
The tourism industry contributed about $476 million to Dearborn County's economy last year and created a total of 3,308 jobs.
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