National Tourism Week builds local
awareness
Experience Columbus celebrated National Tourism Week, May 8-16, with
two promotions. Both were designed to educate residents about all
there is to experience in Columbus.
Mayor Michael B. Coleman showed his support by issuing an official
proclamation declaring May 8-16, 2010 as Columbus Tourism Week.
Local tourism employees experience the city’s attractions
Experience Columbus enabled employees at local hotels,
restaurants and taxi cab companies to experience the city’s top
attractions themselves. The program, in its second year, is designed to
make tourism staff more effective ambassadors for the local tourism
industry.
In partnership with the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Zoombezi Bay, the
Columbus Museum of Art, Franklin Park Conservatory and the Columbus
Jazz Orchestra, Experience Columbus offered free admission tickets to
tourism employees.
“Tourism is a $7.2 billion industry in Central Ohio and it takes
more than 62,000 dedicated Central Ohioans employed in the tourism
industry to make each visitor’s experience memorable,” said
Paul Astleford, Experience Columbus president and CEO.
“Allowing us the opportunity to treat our staff to so many
wonderful attractions will allow us to better share what Columbus has
to offer with the hundreds of guests we see and serve every single
day,” said Liz Lessner, local restaurateur. “Our hosts,
servers and bartenders are ambassadors to Columbus. They are asked
every day what's fun, what's new and where to go.”
Giveaways encourage being a tourist in your own city
Also during National Tourism Week, area residents had the chance to
win one of three hometown getaway packages. Each package contained free
admission to four area attractions.
“Our residents – just like our tourism industry employees
– are among the city’s greatest ambassadors,” said
Astleford. “Our goal is to make residents more aware of what
Central Ohio has to offer visitors.”
Experience Columbus is the official travel and tourism resource for
Columbus, Ohio
277 W. Nationwide Blvd., Ste. 125 - Columbus, Ohio 43215
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