Cleveland tourism poised to make a comeback

Experts are optimistic that the travel industry can recover from a disappointing 2020.

CLEVELAND – One of the hardest hit industries during the pandemic was tourism.

Ohio lost billions in revenue last year, but as the state opens up, things could change for the 2021 summer season.

The travel industry has struggled through the pandemic.

Ohio trips had $ 14.5 billion in success between March 2020 and April 2021, but with a pandemic record of 89% of American travelers planning a trip in the next six months, the light is growing at the end of the year Tunnels and Cleveland is hoping to bask its glow.

“Promising stats I’ve seen in the last week or so [show] growing confidence in city visits, “said Melinda Huntley, president of the Ohio Travel Association.

If the NFL draft showed us something, Cleveland can safely get out and have fun.

“We had well over 150,000 people in three days – all in a safe and detached way,” David Gilbert, CEO of Destination Cleveland, told 3News.

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“That gives us hope,” added Huntley. “We are now seeing some numbers that say, ‘Look, people are comfortable visiting more urban areas – more comfortable than last year.'”

According to a Columbus-based travel and tourism research agency, 31% of travelers want a destination to drive to instead of flying.

“People will come in from a three or four hour drive and come for a few days, and all research shows that when people come back they will primarily do what they will,” Gilbert said.

Bringing visitors to the state is a top priority for the Ohio Tourism Agency, overseen by the state’s Development Services Agency, which helps create job creation and build communities in the state. OTA launched a $ 4 million marketing campaign for people looking for adventure in Ohio.

“If I shared all of the things to do and what Cleveland and Northeast Ohio have to offer, it would take me 30 minutes to go through it all,” said Huntley.

The Columbus-based agency found that 53% of people support opening up their community to visitors, and 60% feel safe traveling outside of their community. Ohio will officially open on June 2, when almost all health contracts in the state are canceled.