CLEVELAND (March 18, 2014) - In February, Destination Cleveland, the convention and visitors bureau for Greater Cleveland, kicked off a local movement designed to get Clevelanders to show what their city means to them. The goal of the movement is to showcase the quirky, unpredictable and eclectic side of Cleveland in an effort to attract more visitors.
"Our brand-related research concluded that the third most utilized source for visitors planning a trip to Cleveland is residents," said David Gilbert, President & CEO of Destination Cleveland. "Unfortunately, we also found out that only 34 percent of Clevelanders would recommend visiting Cleveland to an outsider."
Through this movement, Clevelanders are encouraged to snap photos that show people and places that are unmistakably Cleveland. Then, they tag the images #ThisisCLE on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, blogs, etc. From that point, Destination Cleveland organizes the images and showcases them at www.ThisisCLE.com, with the potential of using them in marketing campaign materials if permitted by the photographer.
"Destination Cleveland's mission is to promote the city to visitors, and while we can organize the efforts behind this movement and amplify the message, we can't tell the story alone," Gilbert said.
In addition to residents, Destination Cleveland has also partnered with several local business owners, the blogger community, social influencers and community leaders who are rallying around the movement. Some of these people include Sam McNulty, owner of several Ohio City restaurants, breweries and pubs; Sean Watterson, owner of the Happy Dog; Michelle Venorsky, blogger at Cleveland Foodie; Courtney Bonning, owner of Bon Bon Cafe´; the Cleveland Metroparks and the Cleveland International Film Festival.
Additionally, the ThisisCLE.com microsite includes a section titled "Cleveland by Clevelanders." Here, stories are collected from local influencers who enjoy the city for both work and play and include their favorite Cleveland pastimes and personal lists of must-experience attractions. Some of the contributors include Chef Michael Symon and Chef Jonathon Sawyer.
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 nearly 16 million visitors annually. For more information, visit ThisisCleveland.com.