CLEVELAND (July 26, 2018) - Destination Cleveland, Cuyahoga County's destination marketing and management organization, is asking Northeast Ohioans to take a more active role in growing the travel and tourism industry. Visit Me in CLE, an integrated marketing campaign that starts this week, introduces residents to Destination Cleveland's planning tools and challenges them to change perceptions of the city in the minds of potential visitors by bringing even more of their friends and family to Cleveland.
"Since residents are the third most utilized resource for destination information by potential visitors, Destination Cleveland's Visit Me in CLE campaign aims to engage the 77 percent of Clevelanders who would recommend the city as a place to visit," said Colette Jones, vice president of marketing and communications at Destination Cleveland. "We're not asking much, but what we're asking can have a big effect on our area. By participating in the Visit Me in CLE campaign, locals can illustrate their commitment to the city and support Destination Cleveland's long-term goal of attracting 20 million visitors by the end of 2020."
CAMPAIGN ELEMENTS
COMMITMENT
Residents can commit to being part of the campaign at one of two upcoming events, Edgewater Live on August 2 or Wade Oval Wednesday on August 15. Destination Cleveland will be on-site with activities and planning tools for residents including the following:
- Locals can stop by one of the Destination Cleveland tents to share a photo they have taken at the event using the hashtag #VisitMeinCLE and tag a friend to visit them in Cleveland. The photos that are tagged with #VisitMeinCLE will be collected and printed at Destination Cleveland's on-site kiosk to create a traveling mosaic of Clevelanders who committed to inviting people to the region to help Destination Cleveland reach its goal of 20 million visitors by the end of 2020. Once the mosaic is complete, it will travel to different events over the next year.
- Residents can fill out postcards with fun, irreverent sayings and mail them to their friends via snail mail or email, encouraging them to "Visit Me in CLE." Electronic postcards will be available throughout the year at www.visitmeinCLE.com.
- To learn more about the resources available to help plan a visit from friends or family, Destination Cleveland's tools, like its Official Visitors Guide, e-newsletter, Cleveland app and itineraries, can be picked up, signed up for or downloaded at the events.
EDUCATION
- In March 2019, Destination Cleveland will host "Be A Tourist in Your Hometown," a weekend for residents to get to know more about different experiences throughout Cleveland.
CALL TO ACTION
- The "Visit Me in CLE" campaign will culminate in summer 2019 with a "Visit Me in CLE" weekend, June 21-23, 2019. Throughout the Spring of 2019, residents will be offered materials to encourage their family and friends to visit the region on those dates to enjoy Cleveland experiences, discounts and attractions.
"By providing opportunities to learn more about Cleveland as well as ways for residents to get their friends and families interested in visiting, Destination Cleveland hopes to turn positive attitudes into action and help residents create authentic Cleveland experiences for others," said Jones.
Advertising and social media posts will continually encourage residents to invite family and friends to the area, and the organization also encourages residents to continue to use #VisitMeinCLE throughout the campaign. Residents can access information by going to www.visitmeinCLE.com or following Destination Cleveland's social channels: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest.
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ABOUT DESTINATION CLEVELAND: Destination Cleveland is Cleveland's convention and visitors bureau. This private, non-profit organization's mission is to drive economic impact and stimulate community vitality for Greater Cleveland through leisure and business travel. Cleveland welcomes 18 million visitors annually. For more information, visit www.thisiscleveland.com.