Win a Columbus experience!

Do the dates May 8-16 ring a bell? No? Well, I’ll fill you in…it’s National Travel and Tourism Week!

Now, you may be thinking “Why should I care?” Here’s why: Visitors spend $7.23 billion annually in Central Ohio. And 62,000 people are employed in the tourism and hospitality industry. Pretty impressive, huh?

Some of you cynics out there may still be asking “Why should I care?” And I say to you this: You can win some really cool stuff! Experience Columbus is celebrating National Travel and Tourism Week by offering a chance to win one of three amazing packages.

With the first package, you and three others can:

• Cheer on the 2008 MLS Champs at a Columbus Crew game
• Enjoy the May flowers at Franklin Park Conservatory
• View historic motorcycles at AMA’s Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum
• See an Austrian M47 tank driven by Arnold Schwarzenegger at Motts Military Museum

Or you may be more enticed by the second package, where you and three others can:

• Learn through hands-on science interaction at COSI (voted #1 science center in the nation by Parents magazine)
• Cruise through Columbus with SegAway Tours of Columbus
• Watch a timeless film in the beautiful Ohio Theatre with the CAPA Summer Movie Series
• Shop at your favorite local merchant with your $20 North Market gift card.

And last but not least is the third package, which allows you and three others to:

• Eat your peanuts and crackerjacks at a Columbus Clippers game at Huntington Park (named ballpark of the year by Ballpark Digest and BaseballParks.com)
• View the new polar bear exhibit at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (#1 zoo in America by USA Travel Guide)
• Lean back and enjoy a movie at the sophisticated Arena Grand Theatre
• Go on a shopping spree with your $50 gift card for Easton Town Center

You can enter to win by stopping in one of the Experience Columbus Visitor Centers (Easton or Arena District locations) or by visiting this link . The winners will be drawn and notified on May 17.

Best of luck and Happy National Travel and Tourism Week!

Some exciting things are happening at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium .

On March 27, they welcomed a new baby boy elephant .  The adorable Asian elephant weighed in at over 300 lbs., but he still doesn’t have a name.

Me and my new pal at Zoo Days

The zoo held a baby-naming contest and has narrowed the list of more than 11,000 submitted names to four picks - Siddhartha, Beco, Sattva and Damai. Now, you can help name the baby by voting for your favorite name here .

And if you want a sneak peek at a few of the animals, come to our Visitor Center for Zoo Days . Starting in May, our friends from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium will bring animals to the Experience Columbus Visitor Center on the last Friday of every month, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Admission is free.

We’ve had some really neat animals come by - everything from pythons to dingos to tortoises…and my favorite, the baby kangaroos that are snuggled warm inside a bag, just like their mom’s pouch.

Last time, I got to pal around with a clouded leopard. Come see what animals they bring in next!