MOUNT VERNON — It all starts with a visit.
That is the guiding principle for the Knox County Convention & Visitors Bureau, and one of the key statistics that affects local businesses.
“You can’t really decide to move your family here, move your business here, make that leap to join this charming community until you visit,” CVB Executive Director Olivia Toth told the county commissioners earlier this month.
“We know that when we welcome everybody, it’s really important to make that first impression.”
As a destination marketing organization, the CVB works to strengthen the community and economic development.
That strengthening includes highlighting trails and parks, entertainment and events, and festivals and food.
The CVB’s efforts paid off in 2025, with increases in overnight visits, economic impact, and industry recognition.
Overnight trips reached 250,000, up 7.4 percent from last year. Visit nights increased by 9.2 percent.
Total visitor spending exceeded $54 million, a 3-percent increase compared to 2024.
The CVB won four RUBY awards from the Ohio Travel Association, placing first in the print advertising and annual report categories. It was a finalist in the blog and print media categories.
Midwestern Traveler Magazine recognized the organization’s efforts with the Best in Ohio award for its visitor guide.
Experience Mount Vernon, a CVB partner, won Midwestern Traveler’s Best in Ohio awards for best summer festival, best art festival, best historic hotel, and best street art.
“We’re not the only ones saying we did a good job. Other people are saying it, too, with all of our awards,” incoming board chair Beth Durbin said.
Economic impact of CVB’s efforts
Most visitors came from around Ohio. However, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Indiana each registered more than 11,000 overnight trips.
Statewide, Cleveland topped the list of overnight trips, with visitors spending $2.9 million. Cincinnati, Toledo, Akron, and Dayton visitors spent $5.5 million.
The CVB tracks visitors’ economic impact in three ways: direct, indirect, and induced spending.
Direct spending is buying a ticket, paying for a hotel room, or dining in a restaurant.
Indirect spending involves the supply chain effects.
“If the hotel is hosting someone, where did the hotel get their sheets washed. Did they get them washed locally? Where did they get their food source? Do they get it from a farm locally?” Toth said.
“Induced spending is the people working at a lodging establishment, working at a restaurant. Where do they go and spend their wages as a person that lives in our community?”
“It’s not just they’re coming in town, and they’re buying something from a small business. It really does have this ripple effect, which is really cool to see.”
Olivia toth CVB
Toth said that being within a day’s drive to 60% of the United States pays off for Ohio because of key assets such as beaches and rivers.
“Being in Central Ohio is such an asset for us because we sit in this really beautiful spot where we have appropriate growth,” she said.
“We have really nice amenities, and access to the highways and manufacturing. And we do a really good job of talking about that.”
The average stay is 2.5 to three nights.
“We know our demographic is a young family with about four people within their household. So, we need to make sure we have those amenities and attractions that keep them here longer,” Toth said.
‘Not just an idea’
The CVB collects information through Placer AI, which tracks credit card transactions, cell phone data, and overnight lodging facilities. It provides foot-traffic data as well as credit-card data.
Knowing where people go after an event helps CVB partners decide whether to stay open later or offer specials.
“So it’s not just an idea. It’s data,” Toth said.
“It’s about being strategic in our planning … So many of our partners are all fighting for the same kind of money and funds. Should we add another day to our festival? Should we add this kind of amenity, where are people parking, what are they looking for?”
The data helps in other ways. In July, the data showed Ariel-Foundation Park officials where visitors entered the park for the Fourth of July fireworks.
Park officials used the data to route traffic, provide security, and determine timing.
Evidence of the CVB’s impact includes:
• “Mount Vernon Presents” was inserted in the spring edition of Ohio Magazine with 40,000 copies distributed in Central Ohio. It highlighted more than 32 businesses and promoted events such as the Summer Front Porch concert series and live entertainment.
• Downtown Mount Vernon saw 1.1 million visitors, a visitor frequency of five visits per person. That helps retailers offer special deals, shop hops, and punch cards that promote return visits.
• Biktoberfest weekend brought nearly 300 registrants to the county, over 50% of whom were age 60 or older. Weekend activities for cyclists included a food truck festival and the Johnny Appleseed Festival.
• Blog sessions topped 28,000, and the average session time on the CVB website increased by a couple of seconds. Form submissions also increased.
What’s ahead for 2026?
Toth said the CVB will use the origin data to focus marketing efforts in Cleveland and adjacent states.
The organization will also work with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) to pilot Trail Town programs in Mount Vernon and Centerburg.
“I think that’ll be really great for further development with our trails … MORPC saw that in us and saw that these are two areas of Central Ohio that really know what the trail is about and really know how to cultivate that,” Toth said.
“A lot of the things we do are behind the scenes. You may see some magic happening, and we usually try to have our hands in that.”
Olivia toth, CVB executive director
America 250 is also a CVB focus in 2026.
“Our committee over the last year has been talking about what it means to elevate what’s already happening in our community, any untold stories or storytelling that’s already happened, and looking at how can we make that more impactful in a way that our community can enjoy it or find entry point where they haven’t before,” Toth said.
Toth believes the CVB could also shed greater light on the outdoors.
Noting the organizations that work hard to maintain the trails and parks, Toth said, “Our trail is our Football Hall of Fame; our outdoor resources are our Hall of Fame.”
She also highlighted businesses that outfit people to participate in the outdoors as an area for additional development.
Click here to read the CVB’s 2025 annual impact report.