Columbiana County moves toward increasing tourism

Bing said he wanted to work with chambers of commerce, historical societies and festivals.

By D.A. WILKINSON

VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU

LISBON — Columbiana County has taken a small step toward increasing tourism.

Dan Bing, chairman of the commissioners, said Monday he has met with representatives from the Salem and East Liverpool visitors bureaus.

They, along with the travelers bureau in St. Clair Township, raise funds with a bed tax at hotels and motels in their jurisdictions.

Bing said the commissioners could enact a bed tax to finance tourism efforts, but they may not do that.

Bing said the county has a part-time visitors bureau operated within its small economic development office.

A visitors bureau is designed to publicize local events while travel and tourism efforts promote larger county and regional activities, he said.

Bing said he gave the tourism groups a copy of the county’s proposed travel and tourism bylaws. He added he wants to study the bylaws from the other groups.

Bing said a countywide promotional effort could be based in Lisbon for a centralized location in the county.

“We want to partner with chambers of commerce, historical societies and festivals,” Bing said.

Among the things a county tourism board could do is promote its covered bridges, he added.

There’s no schedule for more meetings between the county and the tourism boards.

The Salem Tourism Advisory Board has created a new Web site, http://visitsalemohio.com/. The site mentions the area’s history and a few meetings.

Audrey Null, executive director of the Salem chamber and a member of the city’s tourism board, said Bing’s goal was to work together.

Salem celebrated its bicentennial in 2006 with an array of events, and continued some, such as car cruises and season events, to draw people to the city.

wilkinson@vindy.com