Tourism spending in Ohio plunged by 40% last year as the coronavirus pandemic curtailed corporate travel, prompted business shutdowns and severely dampened leisure activity.
The Ohio Travel Association reported Friday, Feb. 12, that industrywide revenues fell $12.8 billion last year, when compared with their 2019 levels. The sharp falloff in travel, combined with public health restrictions meant to slow the spread of the virus, spurred a $378 million decline in annual state tax revenues, according to Tourism Economics, a research firm.
Across Ohio, local tax revenues tied to travel and lodging dropped by $223 million. And the downturn in Ohio translated to an $808 million decrease in tax revenues at the federal level, Tourism Economics…