A new tourism video promoting Delaware County has been released online by the Delaware County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

“Be Here in Delaware County Ohio” can be viewed at visitdelohio.com, and on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.

The new marketing video was produced by the bureau and Spire Advertising, and was filmed at local Delaware County establishments.

“The use of video in online marketing and social media plays a highly important role in current marketing strategies,” said Deb Shatzer, executive director of the Delaware County Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Video is already beginning to dominate the Internet and will have an even bigger presence in the future. The ‘Be Here’ video is the first in a series. The CVB plans to produce others showcasing tourism in Delaware County, including a ‘Family Fun’ video during the summer of 2016.”

Where do Delaware County visitors come from? In 2015, the CVB greeted people from all over Ohio and at least 12 other states and 11 different countries, according to Shatzer. That is just a random sampling because not all visitors coming to Delaware County stop by the CVB’s Visitor Center in downtown Delaware. Many receive all the information they need beforehand, including the Delaware County Visitors Guide downloaded from the CVB website or by direct mail before making the trip, she said.

“We meet lots of interesting visitors in our office, and actually had three separate visitors from Australia this summer,” Shatzer said. “One Australian had just finished riding his bike in the Smoky Mountains and was making his way across the country. Traveling with just a backpack and a small trailer attached to his bike, he stopped to spend the night in Delaware. The bike actually folded and fit into the trailer like a suitcase when he traveled by air.”

The latest bi-annual study conducted by Longwoods International and Oxford Economics on behalf of TourismOhio showed that visitor spending boosted the local economy by $1.158 billion. Tourism in Delaware County also sustained 10,838 full-time-equivalent jobs, generating $244.4 million in wages. “Tourism also plays an important role in economic development,” Shatzer said. “Some examples include popular destination retail establishments, such as Cabela’s, Field and Stream, and the future Tanger outlet mall and IKEA.”

For more information, contact the Delaware County CVB at 740-368-4748.