TourismOhio says visitor spending fuels state economy and favors out-of-state advertising

Sarah Wickham, communications and marketing chief at the Ohio Department of Development and TourismOhio’s state tourism director, told the Arts, Athletics and Tourism Committee that tourism is a major economic driver for Ohio and that data-driven, targeted advertising yields measurable returns.

Wickham said 2023 statewide visitor spending totaled $56,000,000,000, supporting 436,000 jobs and generating $4,600,000,000 in state and local tax revenue. She described research showing high visitor satisfaction—90% of overnight visitors reported satisfaction, 93% would recommend Ohio, and 84% said they were likely to return within 12 months.

Wickham presented advertising results from TourismOhio’s 2023 campaign: $3,300,000 total ad spend generated measurable incremental trips and visitor spending; in-state advertising accounted for $2,100,000 and produced an estimated 228,000 incremental trips and $54,000,000 in visitor spending, while $1,200,000 spent on out-of-state advertising produced about 475,000 incremental trips and $163,000,000 in visitor spending. She said those metrics support continued emphasis on targeted out-of-state markets within a roughly three-hour drive, including Detroit, Pittsburgh, Charleston (WV), Huntington (WV), Grand Rapids, Louisville, Lexington and Buffalo.

Wickham described programmatic and partnership work: expanding trails (holiday lights, ice cream trail, historical trails), cooperative marketing with local destination marketing organizations, and providing plug-and-play marketing materials for local events. She said TourismOhio contracts with research firms (Longwoods International and Tourism Economics/Oxford Economics) to produce return-on-investment and visitor studies.

Committee members asked about hotel capacity for large events, whether out-of-state ad markets are saturated, and whether TourismOhio provides grants for local events. Wickham said the department has limited authority to address hotel capacity itself and focuses on partnerships with local hotels, chambers and lodging associations; she said they do not provide grants for local events but do offer cooperative marketing that matches partner investment 25% and pays agency fees for selected buys.

Wickham asked the committee to view continued investment in tourism marketing as an economic development strategy with immediate returns for local businesses and state tax revenues.