While neighboring states spend more money in peppering placessuch as Ohio and the Dayton area with tourism advertising, Ohio'stourism industry is bringing in more bucks with more creativepartnerships, according to officials and tourism data.
Michigan and Kentucky, which continued billboard advertising inthe Miami Valley as the summer traveling season begins, havecombined advertising and marketing budgets of about $33.5 million,or more than six times that in Ohio ($5.4 million).
But Ohio's tourism impact on the state last year during its "TooMuch Fun for Just One Day" campaign was $38 billion, more thanMichigan and Kentucky combined ($28.5 billion).
State and area officials say partnerships between the OhioTourism Division, local convention and visitors bureaus and privatebusinesses make up for the smaller budget.
Ohio concentrates its marketing on print, broadcast and Internetadvertising, social media and a traveling tour to events in otherstates, such as this weekend's Pittsburgh Arts Festival.
"We're cautiously optimistic," said Amir Eylon, Ohio's tourismdirector, of the summer's travel outlook. "There's a lot of pent-updemand. Consumers have been curtailing their travel to save more,and that can benefit Ohio."
That can help the Dayton area, said Jacquelyn Powell, president/CEO of the Dayton/Montgomery County Convention and Visitors Bureau.Such cooperative efforts give the Miami Valley exposure it couldn'tafford on its own, Powell said.
"The way we reach more people is through these co-ops," saidPowell, who noted her department received 5,000 leads for possiblevisitors from the traveling tour.
Ohio residents remain valuable to other states.
"Dayton, Cincinnati and Columbus are three of our big marketingareas," said Dave Lorenz, spokesman for Travel Michigan, the state'stourism department. "We've seen a tremendous boon in the leisureindustry."
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