Ohio Travel Association

Congratulations to Destination Cleveland’s Marketing Team for four wins at this year's Ohio Travel and Tourism Conference (OTA) earlier in October. The team received a Ruby Award for Innovation in Travel Marketing category for the “Dog’s Day Off” Puppy Bowl Campaign, as well as a Ruby Award for Digital Marketing for "The Land of Beats and Bars" campaign celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop. The team also was honored with two Citations of Excellence for the newly published “LGBTQ+ Insider Guide,” as well as the "The Land of Going All Out,” the marketing campaign that promoted the Total Solar Eclipse and 2024 NCAA Women’s Final Four. Check out one of our award-winning campaigns here: https://bit.ly/3YSQeUW #TheLandforLife

Hey Members ?? Ever wonder how to grow your group tour business? In the past 10 years, the Sandusky County Visitors Bureau has gone from six group tours in 2015 to nearly 100 annually, a third of which are overnight trips! Join Brenda Havens and Peggy Courtney as they share their ‘secret sauce’ of group tour success. ??This conversation will include creating exciting experiences, building relationships with operators, offering exceptional customer service, and more! ??OTA Travel Talks are free and exclusive to members only. Click the link to register?? https://lnkd.in/gjqtDv_N Please note, while we typically focus on topics for all industry sectors, this month’s Ohio Travel Talks is targeted to CVBs, as the process being shared is CVB led. Non-CVBs are welcome to join, particularly if you are looking for ways to boost group tour support from your CVB.

?? Attention group travel planners and tour operators! Today, our team is attending the Group Travel workshop, hosted by the Ohio Travel Association and Destination Toledo. ?? If you’re looking for a unique, interactive opportunity to experience Great Lakes history up close, consider a trip to our museum. ?? For information on group rates and bookings, please reach out to our Program and Events Coordinator, Cris Shell, at [email protected]. We look forward to making your group’s visit to the museum a memorable one! #GroupTravel #GreatLakesHistory #Tourism

Loved today’s Group Travel Workshop hosted by the Ohio Travel Association and Destination Toledo! Collaborating with National Museum of the Great Lakes is always a highlight. ?? Interested in a unique, interactive Great Lakes history experience? Reach out for group rates and bookings to Cris Shell at [email protected]. #GroupTravel #GreatLakesHistory #Tourism

We are so proud to add your name to a list of legends. Congrats, Lance!

I am truly humbled and honored to have received the Ohio Travel Association’s 2024 Paul Sherlock Legend in Ohio Travel Award—our industry’s highest distinction. This award is given to an individual who exemplifies excellence in their professional and personal life and has made outstanding contributions to the growth and promotion of Ohio’s tourism industry throughout their career. Ohio, The Heart of it All I will continue to passionately advocate for Ohio as a destination of choice-not only for travel but for living, learning, working, and playing. Together, we’ll keep Ohio at the heart of it all! #OhioTheHeartOfItAll #ThisIsToledo

Last week we had the pleasure of partnering with the Ohio Travel Association to host our travel colleagues from around the state for this year's Ohio Conference on Travel! CVBs and other travel stakeholders from around the state gathered at the Renaissance Hotel for three days of educational sessions, workshops, keynote speeches, and awards. Destination Toledo’s President & CEO, Lance Woodworth, CDME, was the recipient of the 2024 Paul Sherlock Legend in Ohio Travel Award, the Ohio travel industry’s highest honor. In addition to the on-site events, guests were also able to experience an amazing night at the The Toledo Zoo & Aquarium, and scenic views of the city from the Heights. We had a great time hosting this year's conference and appreciate all of the hard work our own Emily Moore Kurth did as this year's conference chair. We're already looking forward to next year's conference!

Last week Travel Butler County attended the Ohio Travel Association's Ohio Conference on Travel in Destination Toledo. TBC won 3 RUBY awards for Innovation in Travel Marketing, Travel Guides and Planners, and Print Advertisement, as well as a Citation of Excellence for Promotional Video. The 2024 Butler County Insider Guide was one of the highest scored entries across the entire competition with a near perfect score. We look forward to continuing to share Butler County's stories through innovative marketing efforts!

?? Thank you! To the community, the team, supportive organizations, Ohio Travel Association, and the collaborative efforts of Communica as we all strive for the same goal of showcasing and improving the quality of travel and tourism in the Shores & Islands Region. A RUBY recognizes outstanding marketing and promotional achievements within Ohio’s travel industry. The team brought home: ? Ruby - Promotional Video - It’s a Shore Thing Campaign Ruby - Website Fish Cam Citation of Excellence - Innovation in travel marketing - Shoreline Podcast ? Citation of Excellence - Digital Marketing ? Citation of Excellence - Spirit of Community - Chronolog

Always great to represent the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and network with some of the best and brightest in the tourism industry at the Ohio Travel Association Conference on Travel. ODNR is a big piece of the pie in the Ohio tourism industry and connecting with these professionals each year is so important. And a thanks to Destination Toledo for hosting this year! Ohio, The Heart of it All