'Daycations' could fix tourism troubles
Long-distance trips can be dicey, so attractions are calling out to locals.
Tourists often come to Dayton because it is the birthplace of aviation. But right now during COVID-19, cars — not planes —are the region’s best hope for tourism.
Because of the coronavirus threat, people aren’t flying and taking vacations like normal, and visits to major local attractions like the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force have declined significantly.
The museum has seen about 30% of its normal attendance numbers during the summer months, and it is welcoming fewer long distance travelers, said National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Director David Tillotson.
Most local residents aren’t comfortable taking weekend getaways at local hotels, according to a recent survey, and statewide hotel demand has deteriorated.
Last year, tourism in Montgomery County had an estimated $2.3 billion economic impact on the local economy, but this year has been very different. People who visited Montgomery County last year spent about $1.5 billion, according to data from Tourism Economics. Tourism in the county supported about 22,046 local jobs.
A recent tourism campaign focused on “daycations” encourages people to take short day trips to visit local attractions, and a new app has launched offering information about local events, amenities, restaurants and hotels.
“Local residents can be tourists in their own backyard by taking advantage of all that is available in Dayton and Montgomery County,” said Jacquie Powell, president and CEO of the Dayton Convention & Visitors Bureau. “A daycation can give residents and travelers the break and getaway they’re looking to experience.”
“In addition, by visiting our local attractions, outdoor recreation sites, restaurants and retail outlets, residents can also help reinvigorate the economic vitality of our community,” she said.
The CDC says traveling increases the chances of getting and spreading COVID-19, and countless people have canceled vacation plans.
Many events, festivals and conventions that attract large crowds to the region also have been postponed or canceled, including the Vectren Dayton Air Show, Dayton Celtic Fest, Dayton Hamvention and the Dayton Jazz Festival.
An estimated 90,000 people visited the Dayton Celtic Fest last year, and the air show had nearly 50,000 visitors.
Winter Guard International, which was canceled, usually leads to 8,800 hotel room stays, with a direct economic impact to the region of about $28 million each year.
The NCAA First Four Tournament, which also was axed, brings about 25,000 fans, players, coaches and media to Dayton, directly pumping about $4.6 million into the economy.
Many attendees, vendors and event participants stay overnight in local hotels. Also, in normal times, weekend getaways are fairly popular in the region.
Hotel demand across the state has softened and remains far below normal levels, said Joe Savarise, executive director of the Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association.
For the week ending Aug. 1, average hotel occupancy level across the state was 46.5%, he said, which compares to a rate of 75.3% for the same week in 2019.
In the week ending July 18, the reported hotel occupancy rate was 47.8%, Savarise said.
The hotel occupancy rate does not include hotels that are temporarily closed, and if their rooms were counted, the actual rate probably would be in the mid-30% range, at the highest, he said.
Premier local attractions like the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force say they are seeing much less foot traffic.
After closing on March 15, the museum reopened July 1. About 32,836 people visited the museum last month, which was down from nearly 105,000 in July 2019.
The good news is that there is pent-up travel demand among local residents, according to a late June survey by the Dayton Convention & Visitors Bureau.
After coming out of shelter-in-place orders, about one-third of respondents said their first travel activity would be visiting family and friends who live in the greater Dayton area, the survey found.
The second largest share of survey-takers (18%) said their first travel activity would be to explore Dayton-area attractions and amenities. Most survey takers said they were not willing to consider a weekend getaway at a local hotel.
Overwhelmingly, the survey found, cleanliness and safety protocols were respondents’ top consideration when deciding whether to visit a local museum, restaurant, sports venue or other attractions.
The visitors bureau’s Daycation campaign targets the leisure market within a driving distance of about 200 miles from Dayton.
The Convention & Visitors Bureau has created more than a dozen daycation itineraries that cover the arts, aviation, “Dayton on a Dime,” indoor and outdoor recreation, anniversary weekends, family fun and more, said Powell.
The bureau also launched the free “Visit Dayton” app that can be downloaded onto mobile devices. The app offers an events calendar, visitors guide, daycation itineraries and lists county attractions, arts and cultural venues, hotels, outdoor recreation, restaurants, sports, transportation and other information.
“We are so fortunate to have many incredible, inexpensive ways for individuals and families to experience Dayton and Montgomery County,” she said.