Rural Ohio balancing need for tourists, caution
In the early days of Ohio’s coronavirus shutdown as people were sheltering at home, Tiffany Gerber was still getting daily calls.
Gerber, executive director of the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau, took calls from people as far as Arizona and Massachusetts asking if the county was still open to visitors.
“They would ask, ’Are your cabins open? We want to hunker down there,’ ” Gerber said. “It never really stopped.”
For Holmes County and many other rural Ohio counties, tourism plays a huge part in the county’s economy.
“We’re perceived as a safe destination, and rightly so,” Gerber said. “You don’t have to fly to get here, it’s an easy drive, we have good old plain values. “It feels like home. It feels safe.” Gerber said the tourism industry felt the immediate toll when the state started to shut down in early March. Restaurants, lodging and attractions all took hits as Ohioans were encouraged to stay home. And because the majority of Ohio’s tourism bureaus operate off a lodging tax, Gerber said the bureau took a hit as well.
But now, as Ohio continues to reopen and summer tourists begin to stretch their legs once more, tourism bureaus in Ohio’s rural counties are working to balance the returning influx of out-of-town visitors while keeping residents healthy.
Gerber said she has been impressed by how so many Holmes County businesses have swiveled to meet social distancing needs and have thrived.
Visitors have still flocked to the county’s cheesemakers, including Heini’s Cheese Chalet in Berlin, even though it isn’t offering samples right now. Restaurants that boast their buffets are still offering all-you-can-eat options, but now the food is served cafeteria-style.
Traditional Amish experiences such as the Farm at Walnut Creek are adapting, too. The attraction near Sugarcreek usually offers an option to feed its animals during a wagon ride, but it is now allowing visitors only to drive through in their own cars.
Gerber said the community is now just starting to see the virus spread into Holmes County, though she said it’s unclear if it can be pinned to tourism. Coronavirus cases in Holmes County have started to increase in the past few weeks. And drives along Route 62 through Berlin and other parts of Amish country on recent weekends show crowded sidewalks and few people wearing face masks.
The Ohio Department of Health reported Monday that 136 coronavirus cases had been detected in Holmes County, up from 28 cases a month earlier. The county has reported three deaths and six hospitalizations from COVID-19.
If cases dramatically increased in rural areas, said Tara Smith, an epidemiologist at Kent State University, it could spell trouble for hospitals.
“Some of these counties have no hospital, or maybe just a clinic,” Smith said.
Paige Alost, executive director of the Athens County Visitors Bureau, said she and her staff are discussing the possibility that out-of-town visitors will bringing the coronavirus with them. It’s a double-edged sword, she said.
“This community isn’t big enough to support itself. We rely on the visitor economy to support us,” Alost said. “You get caught between wanting people to come back, but you also want your local residents to be safe.”
“Some of these counties have no hospital, or maybe just a clinic.” Tara Smith Epidemiologist at Kent State University
As more out-of-town visitors are starting to return, Alost said the visitors bureau has worked closely with the local health department to create guidelines for visitors.
The guidelines ask folks to “visit with love” to keep Athens healthy. They include tips like bringing your own health and safety supplies with you, wearing masks in public areas and being patient with businesses’ limited capacity.
Karen Raymore, executive director of Explore Hocking Hills, said any trip taken during a pandemic should be planned with others in mind, taking social distancing seriously and wearing a mask when you can.
“Right now we’re not living in a time that’s ‘all about me,’ ” she said. “We’re living in a time where we need to be all about each other.”