As more people begin to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, tourism in Athens County is expected to rebound from the pandemic while local destinations continue to prioritize safety.
Boone Troyer, the executive director for the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said health and safety will remain at the forefront as tourism is promoted in the coming months. This commitment has made it unclear which events and programs might resume this year, Troyer said.
“Unfortunately, right now we’re kind of in this grey area … it’s a balance of trying to figure out where we need to be for those events and when those event organizers are kind of looking at their decision-making,” Troyer said.
The Bureau has been communicating with event organizers in Athens, but there is no certain indication of what events might look like. However, decisions will likely be made later in the spring and summer seasons, Troyer said.
Despite this, Troyer believes Athens County is already seeing an increase in tourism. The Bureau, Troyer said, is relying on programs that provide safe options for tourists. One of these is Ohio’s Windy 9, a motorcycle route campaign with nine routes that meet in Athens and go throughout southeast Ohio.
“Some go through Hocking Hills clear down to Pomeroy, but they all loop back to Athens because our hope is that those riders will stay in Athens and spend their money here at our restaurants and enjoy the nightlife and things like that,” Troyer said.
Troyer believes this event has remained successful during the pandemic because it is an outdoor activity that allows riders to stay safe. Tourism in the county has also benefited from its other outdoor recreation assets, such as the many parks and trail systems. These opportunities, Troyer said, are currently the main draws of Athens and the focus of tourism promotion
“However, our goal is not to rely on a kind of rebirth of what has already happened in the past. Our goal is to be creative and think outside of the box, even with a pandemic ... we can still really push those campaigns and push tourism in our area,” Troyer said.
State parks in Ohio have experienced high numbers of visitation in 2020, Stephanie O’Grady, media and outreach specialist for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said.
“Despite being closed for several months in the spring, statewide visitors stayed more than 10,000 additional nights in 2020 compared to 2019,” O’Grady said in an email.
State parks in Ohio have experienced several changes to keep visitors safe, including the implementation of one-way trails at Hocking Hills, and the closing of group camp area and shelterhouse reservations in 2020. O’Grady said reservations for these amenities will open again this summer, which will make additional facilities open to visitors.
Local businesses have also had to come up with new ways to keep their customer base while following safety guidelines, including Pleasant Hill Vineyards. Anne Corder, co-owner and manager, said the last year resulted in multiple modifications to their business model. This included curbside pickup for food, discounts on wine and free appetizers on some days.
They also brought in a food truck last summer, which was out of the norm, Corder said. This summer, they will be opening their kitchen with a more traditional menu. The outside deck venue, which is currently closed, will reopen in the middle of April.
Corder is hopeful that business will continue to improve in the summer and fall seasons.
“As far as we can tell, we will probably be busier this summer than we’ve ever been just because we have a really nice outside location where you can socially distance … you know, people are going to be craving that social interaction more than ever. So I see this coming summer and hopefully the fall without setbacks, knock on wood,” Corder said.
