Thursday, July 08, 1999
Tourism riding a wave
Visitors feel pull of new attractions
BY KEVIN ALDRIDGE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Kids get close-up view of one of the zoo's new manatees.
(Saed Hindash photo)
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New stomach-churning rides, new aquatic attractions and the new-look Reds have helped push Tristate tourism to near-record levels so far this summer.
Diverse attractions are credited with boosting Greater Cincinnati's economy with $3.1 billion spent by 4.6 million tourists in 1998. And while local tourism experts say it's too early to tell for sure, this year looks to be even bigger.
Leading the way: lures such as two new rides at Para mount's Kings Island, the Cincinnati Zoo's manatee exhibit, the opening of Oceanic Adventures Newport Aquarium and the pennant-contending Reds.
“They have definitely helped out our tourism market,” said Gayle Harden-Renfro, communications director
for the Greater Cincinnati Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The manatee exhibit has been a huge success. The aquarium reports visitors are pouring in. And since the Reds have moved into first place we've seen our ticket sales for home games more than double.”
Most venues were anticipating big numbers this year, but early reports indicate many are exceeding their own projections. Statewide, tourism experts expect to improve last year's 66 million tourists by about 4 percent.
“This is going to be another blockbuster year for the state of Ohio,” said Scott Dring, spokesman for the Ohio Division of Travel and Tourism. “We've had great weather to go along with a number of top notch attractions, and people tend to travel more when the weather's nice.”
$14.3 billion in spending
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.
Tourist sites across the region spent millions of dollars developing more exciting and entertaining getaway options for travelers. It would appear many are already getting a good return on their investments.
The Cincinnati Zoo is having its best summer yet, officials say. It set an all-time record this year with 230,000 members, each paying $59 a year for unlimited access.
The zoo brought in $100,000 more than it expected in both May and June, said Donna Oehler, director of marketing.
The zoo gives credit to Stoneman and Douglas, the two manatees that have brought national media attention to the zoo. So far, tourists have come from 38 states to see them.
“People are simply mesmerized by these wonderful, charismatic marine mammals,” Ms. Oehler said. “People just can't leave the exhibit. It's so peaceful watching them, and they're always active and entertaining. They just have this star power.”
Meanwhile, Paramount's Kings Island, the crown jewel of Warren County's $152 million tourism industry, is reaping the benefits of its $40 million investment over the past year. Two new rides — Drop Zone, the world's tallest free-fall tower, and Face-Off, the Midwest's only inverted roller coaster — have park officials expecting record-breaking crowds of thrill-seekers.
“We are on track to meet and exceed last year's attendance results,” said David Mandt, director of marketing and communications at Kings Island. The park attracted more than 3.4 million visitors in 1998.
Tourism is surging along with the Reds, whose recent seven-game home stand drew 188,364 fans downtown. Attendance so far this season is 1,024,917, compared with 960,177 at the same time last season.
Cincinnati's art venues also are booming. The Cincinnati Opera has sold out tickets for the season, while the Symphony Pops Orchestra and Riverbend Music Center also reported rising attendance.
Visitors traveling in June to the Cincinnati Museum Center housed in the former Union Terminal train station, were up 15 percent, or about 80,000 compared to June 1998.
“What's truly helping the museum is that the longer we are around as a multiattraction institution ... with three museums, the Omnimax theater and a traveling exhibit (Mysteries of Egypt), the more people we attract,” said spokesman Rodger Pille.
Aquarium a draw
Officials at the aquarium in Newport say they have gotten off to a tremendous start, drawing nearly 50,000 visitors since opening two months ago. Lisa Popyk, a spokeswoman, said guests are coming from as far as California and Texas, but there continues to be a steady flow of regional visitors including those from Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton and throughout Kentucky.
“The great news is that people who are coming in from out of town are staying for two or three days,” said Barbara Dozier of the Northern Kentucky Convention & Visitors Bureau. “They are taking advantage of all the attractions that the Tristate has to offer.”
Sharon Lawrence from Maysville said when she and her 9-year-old son, Adam, come to the aquarium, they usually spend the whole afternoon at downtown restaurants and attractions.
“We just decided to make a day of it,” she said. “We have memberships so we'll probably come down every other month or so and make a day of going to the aquarium and the mall or the museums. And then go to lunch.”
Mr. Dring said trips like Mrs. Lawrence's are becoming more common among Ohio tourists.
“People are traveling smarter and trying to get more out of their vaca tions these days,” he said. “Now when people visit an attraction, they want to know details about the hotels, restaurants and other events and attractions the area has to offer.”
Hotels see modest rise
Some downtown hotels are noticing modest increases so far this summer, but officials said it is too early to predict how the summer occupancy rate will pan out compared to last year.
“We've had a little more business because the Reds are doing better,” said Al Eastman, director of marketing for the Regal Cincinnati, which at 877 rooms is the largest hotel in the Tristate.
Across Fifth Street at the Hyatt Regency, General Manager Jean-Marc Dizard also reported more hotel guests this summer.
More passengers used the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in June than during the same month in 1998, airport spokesman Joe Feiertag said.
Mr. Feiertag said more than 1.8 million passengers used the airport during that month in 1998, but that climbed to more than 1.9 million this June — an increase of about 5.5 percent.
Through June of this year passenger totals are up 4.4 percent compared to the same period in 1998, he said. Nationally, major airports are reporting passenger totals are up about 2 percent, he said.
“We're going about double the national average,” he said.
Tom McCann, Mike Clark and Molly Harper of The Enquirer contributed to this report.
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