Warren County’s tourism industry has landed numerous awards from the Ohio Travel Association and a tournament from MLS NEXT. CONTRIBUTED
Warren County’s lucrative tourism industry has been recognized with a state award and the announcement of another major event coming to town.
The Warren County Convention and Visitors Bureau is the recipient of four RUBY Awards from the Ohio Travel Association including first place in the Spirit of Community category. The award comes on the heels of the announcement that the Warren County Sports Park will be one of three area sites to host the 2027 MLS NEXT Cup.
Tourism is Warren County’s leading industry, with the county welcoming an estimated 14 million visitors per year, generating $1.74 billion in economic impact per year and supporting more than 14,000 tourism-related jobs.
“Our team puts a lot passion and creativity into showcasing Warren County every day, so it’s always exciting to see those efforts recognized by other in the industry,” said Phillip S. Smith, president and CEO of the WCCVB. “The Ohio Travel Association does a tremendous job supporting tourism across our state, and we’re grateful to have the opportunity to work alongside them year after year.”
In addition to winning first place in the Spirit of Community category, the WCCVB earned second place honors in the E-newsletter, Annual Report and Digital Campaign categories, and was recognized as a finalist in the program’s Marketing Campaign, Web Site, Blog, Travel Guide, Promotional Video and Social Media categories.
The MLS NEXT Cup is expected to generate an estimated $30 million in economic activity across southwest Ohio, including 50,000 hotel room nights, according to Major League Soccer.
Debuting in 2021, the tournament is the postseason championship tournament for MLS’s elite youth league. About 350 teams from six age groups from U13 to U19 will compete June 5-13.
Southwest Ohio is the fourth region to host the tournament, joining the ranks of Dallas, Nashville and Salt Lake City.
“The Warren County Sports Park as a concept was designed to be built for highly impactful events like the MLS NEXT Cup,” Warren County Commissioner Dave Young said. “We’re thrilled to join our neighboring communities in welcoming the CUP in 2027, and can’t wait to show these outstanding young athletes and their families everything ‘Ohio’s Largest Playground’ has to offer both on and off the playing field.”
Butler County’s Voice of America Park will host the Ohio Regional MLS NEXT Cup Qualifier April 9-12 before co-hosting the finals with the Warren County Sports Complex and FC Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium.
Source: www.daytondailynews.com
