TAFT HELPS UNVEIL APPALACHIAN OHIO TOURISM SITES TO BE FEATURED IN NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PUBLICATION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 19, 2005

Columbus, OH -- Governor Bob Taft today helped unveil a new tourism marketing campaign coordinated by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and National Geographic to promote unique tourism experiences and sites of national significance in Ohio’s Appalachian region. National Geographic will highlight 22 sites in Ohio’s Appalachian region, along with 334 other sites in 12 other Appalachian states, in its April 2005 issue of Traveler magazine.

Shipments of nearly one million map guide inserts in the April Traveler magazine began March 18 to subscribers and newsstands. In the coming months, another 300,000 copies of the map will be distributed by state tourism offices of the ARC’s 13 states to targeted travel mailing lists, regional welcome centers and tourism trade shows. ARC will also distribute the map to schools, libraries and civic organizations throughout Appalachia.

“This collaboration between the Appalachian Regional Commission and National Geographic will draw national and international audiences to many of the unique and significant tourism experiences that Ohio’s Appalachian region has to offer,” said Taft, who serves as the States’ Co-Chair of the ARC. “Drawing attention to many of the rich, diverse and, in many cases, undiscovered treasures in Appalachia Ohio will also have a positive economic impact on the region.”

The Governor’s announcement came during “Spotlight on Appalachia,” a two-day travel and tourism show being held at the Riffe Center of Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, Ohio. Ohio’s Appalachian Country (OAC) sponsors the show annually.

Last winter, the ARC announced a partnership with National Geographic to produce a first-of-its-kind “Map Guide to Appalachia” designed to stimulate tourism and economic development by showcasing the incredible diversity of the region’s natural, cultural and heritage assets. To create this map, state and local partners nominated businesses and more than 1,000 other destinations and experiences that they believed represented authentic Appalachia. The result is a map guide that provides a striking representation of Appalachia’s distinctive geography, culture and heritage.

Taft unveiled the Ohio sites that were selected for inclusion in the national publication. They are:

1. Grant Birthplace - Clermont County
2. Ripley Underground Railroad sites - Brown County
3. Floodwall Murals - Scioto County
4. Murphin Ridge Bed & Breakfast - Adams County
5. Serpent Mound - Adams County
6. Hopewell Culture National Historical Park - Ross County
7. Majestic Theatre - Ross County
8. Tecumseh! Outdoor Drama - Ross County
9. Bob Evans Farms Homestead Museum - Gallia County
10. Jackson Apple Festival - Jackson County
11. Dairy Barn Cultural Arts Center - Athens County
12. Adena HockHocking Trail - Hocking County
13. Ohio River National Scenic Byway
14. City of Marietta - Northwest Territory’s first permanent settlement - Washington County
15. The Wilds - Muskingum County
16. National Ceramic Museum - Perry County
17. Historic National Road (U.S. Highway 40) - Belmont, Guernsey, Muskingum counties
18. Amish Country Byway - Holmes County
19. Amish & Mennonite Heritage Center - Holmes County
20. Warther’s Museum - Tuscarawas County
21. Shaker Woods Festival - Columbiana County
22. Blaine Hill Bridge, Oldest Bridge in Ohio - Belmont County

In addition to a full-length story in Traveler magazine, National Geographic and ARC have launched a companion Web site at www.nationalgeographic.com/appalachia. This site will feature original articles, links to the state tourism Web sites, links to related destination web sites and an interactive map of the region to assist travelers from anywhere in the world in planning their trip to the region. National Geographic typically receives five to seven million hits per month. The National Geographic Web site also will have a direct link to the OAC tourism section on www.AppalachianOhio.com. The Web site already serves as a gateway to Ohio’s 29 Appalachian counties in the areas of economic development, community development, workforce development and tourism. ARC will be working with many of the featured sites to gather information about the increases in the volume of travelers, revenues generated and other effects attributable to this project in order to assess the impact on the local and regional economies.

“This project will maximize the revenue stream of travel and tourism-related businesses in Ohio’s Appalachian region and diversify local economies while offering experiences to travelers that are both enjoyable and educational,” said Ohio Lieutenant Governor Bruce Johnson, who also serves as Director of the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD).

The OAC is a non-profit organization whose mission is the advancement of tourism in Ohio’s Appalachian region. The Governor’s Office of Appalachia, a division of the ODOD, collaborates with OAC on a variety of projects to promote tourism in the region. The GOA prioritizes investment opportunities for the State of Ohio and the ARC to enhance the region’s workforce, economic development, health care, education, highway, and technology systems. It also serves as a policy advocate in the state and nation’s capitals. The ARC is a unique partnership between the federal government and the 13 Appalachian states created to help the people of Appalachia reach socio-economic parity with the rest of the nation. The Region, defined by Congress, includes 21 million people in 410 counties spread across parts of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and all of West Virginia.