Ohio tourism leaders tell House committee advertising and lodging taxes drive visitor spending

Summary

Representatives of TourismOhio, the Ohio Travel Association, hotel and lodging, restaurant and CVB groups told the Arts, Athletics and Tourism Committee that tourism generated tens of billions in economic activity in 2023 and urged continued marketing investments and protection of lodging‑tax funding that supports destination marketing.

Four tourism-sector leaders told the Ohio House Arts, Athletics and Tourism Committee that continued investment in marketing and preservation of local lodging-tax funding are critical to maintaining visitor spending, jobs and local tax revenue across the state.

Melinda Huntley, executive director of the Ohio Travel Association, summarized 2023 statewide tourism figures and the effect of destination advertising. "In 2023, visitors spent $43,000,000,000 during their travels," she said, and added that businesses supporting those visitors spent another $13,000,000,000 on goods and services, creating a combined $56,000,000,000 economic boost to Ohio. Huntley said tourism supports nearly 436,000 jobs and that 2023 visitor spending generated roughly $4.6 billion in state and local taxes.

Huntley highlighted TourismOhio’s advertising return on investment, saying the agency’s 2023 campaign generated 703,000 trips and more than $217,000,000 in visitor spending and produced nearly $16,000,000 in incremental state and local taxes. "For every…

Ohio tourism leaders tell House committee advertising and lodging taxes drive visitor spending

Summary

Subscribe to keep reading