Visitor-center official reports tourism gains, outlines countywide wayfinding signs

Visitor Karen Ammon delivered a tourism and wayfinding update to Plain City Council, pointing to recent economic-impact figures for Union County and progress on a countywide signage plan. "generated 32,800,000 in tax revenue, supported nearly 2,000 jobs," she said, and described hotel performance metrics including an average occupancy of "68.9" and an average daily rate of "105." The presentation noted growth in short-term rental listings (about 55) and a push to ensure parity in lodging and sales tax collection.

Ammon described the wayfinding/signage effort as a multi-jurisdiction project that began with a master plan and focus groups; the council was told the town is moving toward a single RFP and one point of contact for fabrication and installation once participating municipalities finalize procurement agreements. She also summarized marketing work—new website traffic, cooperative ad buys and a digital audit—and said tourism grants and partner events helped attract visitors. "We have almost 57,000, users," she said of the new site’s traffic figure, noting cooperative work with TourismOhio and local partners.