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to come visit. 
The Ohio Express
It’s the one place you can’t afford to miss, an exotic destination filled with incredible attractions, a great night life, and good value for the ever escalating Canadian dollar.
Where is this oasis away from home?
Cleveland.
Cleveland?
Yes, Cleveland.
And Cincinnati.
And Youngstown.
Seems the folks in the Buckeye State have taken note of the surging Canadian dollar and are now about to start spending a few of their own.
Their goal – get you to bypass the usual shopping trips to New York or Michigan and give Ohio a try.
“We're going to ramp up our marketing campaign very shortly,” reveals Governor Bob Taft. “I don't think people are aware of Ohio as they should be.”
Part of the problem - the state isn’t as easily accessible to a border point for Canadians who quite literally have to go out of their way to get there.
Those who live in Ohio don’t glimpse as many Canadian license plates as their neighbours in the closer states.
“We don't see a whole lot of tourists here, and not as many as you would like to see here,” admits Cleveland resident Allison Alexander.
The state is spending almost $7 million - double their previous budget - on an ad campaign you’ll be seeing this summer, designed to draw you to a place many often detour around.
Still, some of us are going there.
Canadians, led by Ontario tourists, pumped some 140 million loonies into the Ohio economy last year. And now that our dollar is soaring, officials are hungry for a lot more.
“Cleveland needs a boost in tourism, for the money to come in,” acknowledges Shannon O'Brien. “The city is very poor but there's a lot of great things in Cleveland."
Like what?
You know about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, probably the most famous building in the state.
Then there’s the Memorial Golf tournament in Dublin, a hand’s on “Star Wars” exhibit at the Centre of Science and Industry in Columbus, the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Middletown, Cedarpoint Amusement Park in Sandusky, home to ten roller coasters, the return of the buzzards to Hinckley, a chance to see the Indians or the Reds play – and of course, the ability to spend a few of those rising Canuck bucks in a plethora of local malls.
Will it work? Rochester couldn’t entice visitors from this city to take a fest ferry across the lake, even though they provided a huge and luxurious ship.
Ohio is hoping their pitch will convince Canadians to ignore the kind of stigma Cleveland has been running away from for years.
And if attitude is any signal, it just might prove effective.
“Bring 'em all!” exhorts Alexander. “Bring all the Canadians here. We love Canadians!”
And when was the last time you heard somebody in Buffalo say that?
The Ohio Express
It’s the one place you can’t afford to miss, an exotic destination filled with incredible attractions, a great night life, and good value for the ever escalating Canadian dollar.
Where is this oasis away from home?
Cleveland.
Cleveland?
Yes, Cleveland.
And Cincinnati.
And Youngstown.
Seems the folks in the Buckeye State have taken note of the surging Canadian dollar and are now about to start spending a few of their own.
Their goal – get you to bypass the usual shopping trips to New York or Michigan and give Ohio a try.
“We're going to ramp up our marketing campaign very shortly,” reveals Governor Bob Taft. “I don't think people are aware of Ohio as they should be.”
Part of the problem - the state isn’t as easily accessible to a border point for Canadians who quite literally have to go out of their way to get there.
Those who live in Ohio don’t glimpse as many Canadian license plates as their neighbours in the closer states.
“We don't see a whole lot of tourists here, and not as many as you would like to see here,” admits Cleveland resident Allison Alexander.
The state is spending almost $7 million - double their previous budget - on an ad campaign you’ll be seeing this summer, designed to draw you to a place many often detour around.
Still, some of us are going there.
Canadians, led by Ontario tourists, pumped some 140 million loonies into the Ohio economy last year. And now that our dollar is soaring, officials are hungry for a lot more.
“Cleveland needs a boost in tourism, for the money to come in,” acknowledges Shannon O'Brien. “The city is very poor but there's a lot of great things in Cleveland."
Like what?
You know about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, probably the most famous building in the state.
Then there’s the Memorial Golf tournament in Dublin, a hand’s on “Star Wars” exhibit at the Centre of Science and Industry in Columbus, the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Middletown, Cedarpoint Amusement Park in Sandusky, home to ten roller coasters, the return of the buzzards to Hinckley, a chance to see the Indians or the Reds play – and of course, the ability to spend a few of those rising Canuck bucks in a plethora of local malls.
Will it work? Rochester couldn’t entice visitors from this city to take a fest ferry across the lake, even though they provided a huge and luxurious ship.
Ohio is hoping their pitch will convince Canadians to ignore the kind of stigma Cleveland has been running away from for years.
And if attitude is any signal, it just might prove effective.
“Bring 'em all!” exhorts Alexander. “Bring all the Canadians here. We love Canadians!”
And when was the last time you heard somebody in Buffalo say that?
