MANSFIELD — While the local economy was in recovery mode, tourist attractions across Richland County were preparing for an inevitable resurgence.
Destination Mansfield – Richland County gave out 15 Tourism Awards of Excellence during its annual meeting Wednesday to pay tribute to those efforts.
The awards recognized 15 industry members who developed, improved or materially transformed their attraction or business since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic:
• BibleWalk for its Museum of Woodcarving
• The Ohio Bird Sanctuary for its Treehouse Classroom
• Buckeye Imagination Museum for moving into a new facility
• The Mansfield Art Center for its Foundation Art Education Center
• Kingwood Center Gardens for its Garden Gateway
• Hudson and Essex for Prohibition at the Caverns
• The Blueberry Patch & 1285 Winery for its brand new facility
• Richland B&O Trail for its updated trailhead signage
• Pleasant Hill Lake Park for its deluxe log cabins, the first log homes for rent at the Park
• North Central Ohio Industrial Museum for its brand new exhibit
• The Mansfield Playhouse for its renovated interior
• Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport for its terminal renovations
• Snow Trails for its Valley Lodge
• The Mansfield Memorial Museum for its Frank P. Lahm Aviation Museum
• The Ohio State Reformatory for its Shawshank Museum
Destination Mansfield President Lee Tasseff said the awards were about honoring resiliency.
“We wanted to recognize the vision and perseverance during the pandemic that made us better as a community as well as a tourism destination,” Tasseff said.
During its first annual meeting celebration since the pandemic, Tasseff and his team also discussed the tourism bureau’s accomplishments over the past year, including the ongoing countywide branding effort inspired by the Mansfield Rising Plan.
The agency created a county logo and matching logos for each municipality that can be used by local governments and entities in their branding.
Tasseff said Destination Mansfield will continue partnering with local entities to integrate the brand, creating a consistent theme he hopes will resonate with residents and visitors alike.
Another focus of the last year was generating new photos and videos of attractions throughout the region to be used in traditional and social media, content development, paid marketing campaigns, DestinationMansfield.com and future visitor guides.
“No one has captured our region in the way that we have in the past year,” Tasseff said.
“Our goal was to frame our story in ways no one’s ever thought of with images and messaging that inspire the imagination of potential visitors and can stand up to any destination.”
Both the newer branding and photos were used in the latest Richland County visitor guide, which featured three profiles on people in the community.
Tasseff said the organization hopes telling the stories of people who live in the area will make visitors consider Richland County not only as a tourist destination, but a place to call home.
“One thing a community has to do, whether it’s tourism or business, you have to tell your story, to be out in the marketplace promoting it every day,” Tasseff said. “If you’re not, you’re missing out. Somebody else is out there ahead of you.”
Tourism is a significant part of Richland County’s local economy. The region’s tourism industry collectively serves as the sixth-largest employer, providing 5,094 jobs and a payroll of $115.8 million each year. Destination Mansfield estimates that visitors spend $243.3 million per year, generating $11.6 million in local tax revenue.
Destination Mansfield’s public relations efforts resulted in 22.2 billion online impressions that told Mansfield and Richland County’s story to travelers across the state, country and beyond, reaching media outlets across the US as well as global audiences.
The bureau also received accolades from outside the county this year, including the STAR Award from the Ohio Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus (OACVB) for its visitor guide.
Tasseff said there’s plenty of exciting things to look forward to in the year to come. Richland County will be an ideal spot for viewing next year’s total solar eclipse and commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Shawshank Redemption’s theatrical release.
