The numbers show that Cincinnati is a destination of choice.
From May to September 2008, weekend travel spurred by the initiatives of the Cincinnati USA Regional Tourism Network (RTN) on CincinnatiUSA.com earned the city over $35 million and saw a 2.1% visitor demand.
"The tourism impact is of course much larger than that each year, in the hundreds of millions, because it is comprised of business and leisure travel and has extended impact on hotels, attractions, shopping, dining," says Linda Antus, president of the Cincinnati USA Regional Tourism Network.
In other words, tourism means big money.
In an effort to make the returns for this year even larger, the RTN has unveiled its 2009 leisure tourism marketing program for the Cincinnati region. This plan is aimed specifically at weekend tourism, which makes up 35% of the city's tourism revenues. As part of the initiative, the RTN has developed weekend itineraries and value packages for 52 weekends.
According to a March survey of travelers who frequent Cincinnati, seven of ten respondents cannot get enough.
"As far as leisure tourism for the peak season, the RTN is cautiously optimistic that travelers within 300 miles will find us attractive and compelling as a getaway destination," Antus says. "This season, our most loyal customers have responded to our March survey with 7 of 10 respondents planning to visit our region in 2009."
The qualities Antus attributes to Cincinnati's draw are value and family friendliness.
"No doubt, the quality, variety and value for the dollar in CincinnatiUSA are areas of strengths that we have and are clearly marketing to visitors in 2009," Antus says. "The experiences we offer and the way we regard families traveling together are key attributes that our loyal visitors love us for and will be seeking more than ever in 2009."
To learn more about the RTN's 2009 tourism initiatives, visit here.
Writer: Jonathan DeHart
Source: Jackie Reau, Linda Antus
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