YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Events celebrating the 250th anniversary of American independence, plus the wide array of attractions already popular in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys, point to a very busy summer ahead, local visitor and tourist bureaus say.
Hundreds of millions of dollars affiliated with visitation and tourism flow into the region each year, as many from outside the area are drawn to a variety of lakes, golf courses, historical sites, wineries, restaurants and entertainment venues here.
A key to driving attention to these destinations is marketing, as these organizations expand their outreach and use innovative ways to promote these opportunities.
“There are a plethora of marketing platforms to get the message out about Trumbull County,” says Beth Carmichael, executive director of Trumbull County Tourism Bureau. “There are a lot of people who say they had no intention of visiting Trumbull County until they saw our messaging,” she says.
These marketing campaigns have been working well so far, Carmichael emphasizes. As an example, data show that every dollar spent on advertising Trumbull County destinations generates another $286 in “incremental visitation,” that is, money spent by those who originally had never planned to patronize parks, sites, or other venues in the county. “It’s a huge number,” she says.
Carmichael says that the bureau is exploring additional ways to encourage those visiting Trumbull County for the day to spend the night. “We’re working on developing lodging packages and expanding itinerary content, and then really targeting stay-the-night campaigns for our existing visitors.”
The tourist bureau has found success through digital ad campaigns, a marketing presence with Ohio Roadtrips and Ohio Magazine, and on streaming channels, Carmichael says. “It was very successful,” she said of marketing through streaming services. “So, we’re going to be launching that in June and July this year.”
The social media platform Reddit has also helped to raise Trumbull County’s profile, Carmichael says. “We have very niche focused advertising on Reddit. What’s been really successful for us this past year was the 60-mile yard sale,” she says, a Labor Day weekend flea market that features table vendors all along state Route 7 from Kinsman south through Brookfield. Traders sell clothing, furniture, antiques, and thousands of other items along the thoroughfare.
Other Reddit marketing efforts included highlighting Trumbull County’s cemeteries in commemoration of America 250, Carmichael says. “The DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) is doing a project identifying American Revolutionary War veterans that were buried in this area,” she says.
In addition, the tourism bureau is working with Gavin Esposito, who writes a blog on the bureau’s website, “Truly Trumbull,” where he researches and tells the stories of those Revolutionary War veterans. “He’s very passionate about the stories these cemeteries tell. We’re going to be launching the third one here in the next few weeks. It’s just one way we’re bringing America 250 into our existing marketing efforts.”
These efforts also include promoting Trumbull County destination favorites, such as the Peter Allen Inn in Kinsman, the Grand Resort in Howland, Mosquito Lake for outdoor recreation such as boating and fishing, and the downtown amphitheater in Warren.
Another venue that has drawn patrons is the Past Times Arcade in Girard. “It’s really driving a lot of visitation,” Carmichael says. Recently the arcade earned a spot in the Guiness Book of World Records for the single largest repository of pinball machines.
In Trumbull County alone, tourism generated direct sales of $605.9 million in 2023, according to data provided by TourismOhio. This direct spending contributed to $995.5 million in total impact, including indirect and induced impact.
“We have so many things to do, it’s not even funny,” Carmichael says.
Outdoors, Wine Trails
In Mercer County, Pa., direct tourism spending accounted for $347.2 million in 2024, up from $334 million in 2023 and $309 million in 2022.
“We took a pretty big hit from Covid,” says Carmen Aiello, president and CEO of the Mercer County Tourism Board. “But we’re now moving in the right direction and catching up with what we’ve lost.”
He highlights some of the county’s major draws, such as the Grove City Premium Outlets, and walking and biking trails at the Maurice K. Goddard State Park in Sandy Lake. “It’s huge for us,” he says. “They have low-powered boating, there’s a lot of bird-watching, and a lot of biking, running and hiking on the John C. Oliver trail that loops around Lake Wilhelm,” he says.
Recreational tourism on Lake Shenango is also very popular, while the Shenango River promotes paddleboarding, canoeing and kayaking. These areas also serve as a catalyst for developments such as wineries and breweries across the region.
“We do a wine, beer and spirits map, such as the Northern Lakes Trail and the Southern Amish Trail,” Aiello says. Among the more scenic and visited breweries is Cobblehaus at the Falls Brewing Co., at the Springfield Falls in Mercer. The brewery stands on a site that was once an early iron furnace built during the 1830s. “They’ve created outdoor seating where you can enjoy a beer and the waterfalls,” he says.
He says the county is home to several other wineries and craft beer brew pubs. Among these are Big Rail Brewing and TimberCreek Tap and Table in Grove City, Hop Asylum Brewing in New Wilmington, and Mortals Key Brewing Co. in Jamestown. Wineries in the region include Libations Winery in Mercer, Webb Winery in Hermitage, and the Gate House Winery in Jamestown.
“It’s a pretty good selection of wineries and breweries that people can really enjoy,” Aiello says.
Diamond in the Rough
While many of the major destination spots in Mahoning County – institutions such as the Butler Institute of American Art, MillCreek MetroParks, or the various golf courses, for example – are well known, there are others that are often overlooked.
“One that a lot of people are not always aware of is Noah’s Lost Ark Exotic Animal Rescue in Berlin Center,” says Tara Mady, director of the Mahoning County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “A lot of people don’t know it exists.”
Still, the venue brings in traffic from all across the state, Mady says. “We get a lot of people from the Columbus area,” she says.
The organization provides a place for unwanted and abused exotic animals such as tigers, lions and leopards, Mady says. Moreover, the rescue sanctuary is licensed by the federal and state government, allowing for educational tours. “You can feed tortoises,” she says. “It’s a very unique attraction.”
In 2023, Mahoning County realized an economic impact of $683.6 million through direct sales related to tourism, according to data provided by TourismOhio. That is an increase from the previous year of $653.5 million and $581.2 million in 2021.
Total economic impact due to tourism brought in $1.1 billion through induced and indirect spending, data show.
“We try to promote a lot of the events that happen just in the summer alone,” Mady says, citing the numerous festivals in the county, including the 15th annual Simply Slavic Fest. “They’re extending it to Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They want to encourage people to come in for the weekend and make it an overnight stay.”
Mady also thinks that many living within an hour drive are likely to venture into Mahoning County for either day trips or overnight stays in lieu of long-distance vacations.
“I think you might see more people looking to kind of stay local and come to the area, looking for things to do that aren’t too far away but experience a new environment, a new atmosphere, and new things to explore,” she says.
Pictured at top: Past Times Arcade in Girard has become a top tourism destination in the Valley. The attraction, which has 600 pinball games, is celebrating its third anniversary.
