Positive momentum for Cincy’s travel, tourism industry is palpable | Opinion

The year was 1967. The Cincinnati Bengals were awarded a franchise from the American Football League. Cincinnati City Council had just approved the creation of Riverfront Stadium and construction would begin just a few months later. Cincinnati Gardens was hopping as the home of Oscar Robertson and the NBA’s Cincinnati Royals. Johnny Bench made his Major League debut, and the pieces of the Big Red Machine were slowly falling into place. The first issue of Cincinnati Magazine was hot off the presses. "I’m a Believer" by the Monkees topped the charts.

And the region celebrated the grand opening of the Cincinnati Convention-Exposition Center downtown. At the time, the building was unmatched for its size and flexibility. The 95,000 square feet of exhibition space, 27 meeting rooms, and dock area featuring hydraulic lifts allowed Cincinnati to host events that other area venues could not handle. The total cost of construction was $10 million, or roughly $93 million in today’s dollars.

Fifty-seven years later − as we celebrate National Travel & Tourism Week from May 19-25 − the region once again finds itself at an exciting and pivotal crossroads. The once unmatched Convention-Exposition Center − now known as the Duke Energy Convention Center (DECC) − will close July 1 for a more than $200 million improvement that will reimagine and transform the space into a more attractive and competitive site for meeting planners and conventioneers across the globe.

The groundbreaking for a new downtown headquarters hotel will follow shortly, with 800 keys and 80,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. Plus, A new comprehensive study is looking into the possibility of a new state-of-the-art arena.

The positive momentum for Cincy’s travel and tourism industry is palpable. And our growth mindset as a business community is sparking new opportunities with companies locating to the region, people moving here, movies being filmed here, conventions and high profile events being scheduled here, and visitors flocking here to experience everything from one of our sports teams, the Cincinnati Open tennis tournament, Flying Pig Marathon, Cincinnati Music Festival, Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame, and the nation’s largest art and light show BLINK.

To amplify that momentum, Visit Cincy launched "Meetings Made Cincy," a campaign designed to encourage our local decision-makers and influencers to keep their industry and association meetings and events right here in Cincinnati. The impact will be profound, from driving new visitors and dollars to the region to supporting our hospitality workers while the convention center is closed. With so many Hamilton County unique venues, ballrooms, hotels, attractions, and services, Visit Cincy is emphasizing that our region is still open for business, and ready to find the right location or any event while the convention center is offline.

Through every visitor experience and touchpoint, it’s the professionals in our local hospitality industry who will leave the first and last impressions. These professionals hold one out of every 10 jobs in our region. And together, they help us realize more than $5 billion in annual visitor spending and tax revenues exceeding $1 billion. Is there a meeting you plan or attend that would be a perfect fit for our region and support this industry that’s so vital to our regional success? Check out www.visitcincy.com/meetingsmadecincy to learn more and get started.

If 1967 ushered in a new era of tourism and convention success for Cincinnati, then 2024 will likewise be remembered as a landmark year. A year when more of us get involved to make our region thrive when every week feels like National Travel & Tourism Week, and when "I’m a Believer" still rings true for our destination.

Julie Calvert is president and CEO of Visit Cincy.