Holiday Attractions Spark Economic Growth
ZANESIVLLE, OH – Bryan Place was filled with holiday spirit and hometown pride.
Appalachian Ohio held a meeting to discuss how Christmas attractions can help grow tourism in the Appalachian region. The meeting brought together local leaders from across the region to talk about their areas Christmas destinations, with Cambridge sharing their beloved Victorian Village, Steubenville sharing their Nutcracker Village and Zanesville highlighting the Storybook Christmas that takes place in downtown Zanesville. Local experts discussed how these festive attractions not only brighten the holiday season, but also draw in visitors and boost the local economy.
“Tourism is a huge economic driver. It is important that we create a supportive network of peers. We can tell you; the state always publishes the averages that a day tripper coming into the community spends on average of $125 to $150 a day. If that same visitor spends the night, they’re going to spend between $300 to $350 in that days’ time. All of that money goes back into the local economy. It’s very important. When working together, we always go further than any of us individually,” President of Appalachian Ohio, Diane Lautenschleger said.
Kelly Ashby from the Zanesville Muskingum County Convention and Visitors Bureau spoke about the impact Storybook Christmas has had on the local community and surrounding areas.
“It’s absolutely amazing how it has grown. The number of requests for the Storybook guide that are not Muskingum County residents but residents from surrounding counties as far away as Akron and Columbus, calling two, three, or four weeks ago saying “Is the Storybook booklet ready? We want to plan our vacation around what we’re going to do with regards to Christmas.” It’s amazing what Storybook Christmas has done for Muskingum County,” Zanesville Muskingum County Chamber of Commerce Vice President, Kelly Ashby said.
You can visit the Appalachian Ohio website for more information on future events.
Storybook Christmas – The Zanesville Muskingum County Convention And Visitors Bureau
