by Terry Troy
With the launch of its Find It Here marketing campaign, TourismOhio also created RoadTrips.Ohio.org to help travelers find their perfect road trip.
“Ohio is located within a day’s drive of 60 percent of the U.S. population, and research tells us Ohio visitors are driving here from surrounding states,” says Matt MacLaren, director of TourismOhio. “We created RoadTrips.Ohio.org to be a fun and easy way for families and friends to find experiences they can enjoy together.”
One of those road trips entitled “To the Moon and Back,” celebrates Ohio’s rich space and aviation heritage.
“It’s a road trip that includes the Armstrong Air & Space Museum in Wapakoneta, Neil Armstrong’s hometown, which is also a scene in one of our new commercials for the Find It Here brand,” says MacLaren. “This is the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon. Like all of our new road trips, ‘To the Moon and Back’ celebrates the accomplishments of Ohioans like Neil Armstrong and John Glenn as well as organizations like the NASA Glenn Center and the National Museum of the United States Air Force among others that have played such a large role in space and aviation history.”
The significance of Ohio’s role in space and aviation and the importance of travel and tourism to our State’s economy is certainly not lost on Governor Mike DeWine. So we asked the Governor three questions about travel and tourism in our State.
OB: Why is your administration placing such importance on the Travel and Tourism industries?
Governor DeWine: Visitors bring in billions of dollars in spending each year, and these industries are a critical part of our economy. We want people to know about the great experiences they can have here in Ohio—that whatever they’re looking for, they can “Find It Here.”
OB: What can we be doing better in terms of natural assets and/or marketing to attract people to our State?
Governor DeWine: As Midwesterners, we sometimes take ourselves for granted, but if you ask someone who comes to Ohio from somewhere else, many times they come here, and they don’t want to leave. As Governor, I am in the business of selling Ohio. I’ve told businesses and communities, if they need the Governor to pick up the phone, I will do it. We want people to know what we know—that Ohio is a phenomenal place to be.
OB: Where do you see the Travel and Tourism industry at the end of your first administration?
Governor DeWine: We have a strong tool in JobsOhio, and I’ve said that I want JobsOhio to work more closely with our travel and tourism folks. Ultimately, we want more visitors, we want them to spend more when they come here, and we want more of them to stay here.