A study commissioned by the Auglaize/Mercer County Convention & Visitors Bureau found that two-county tourism sales increased by 5.4% in 2015, an increase over the 4.4% growth witnessed in 2014. The 2015 local tourism growth rate outpaced the statewide average of 4.9%
Other key findings include:
- Tourism is an integral and driving component of the Auglaize and Mercer Counties regional economy, sustaining 5.8% of salaried employment
- Visitors to Auglaize and Mercer Counties generated business sales of $166 million, directly and indirectly, in 2015
- Tourism supports 1 in every 17 jobs in the two-county
- region, for a total of 2,657 local jobs
- Tourism generated personal income of $50.8 million in 2015
- The tourism industry generated $22.2 million in taxes in 2015
- Tourism generated $11.5 million in state and local taxes
- $6.5 million in state taxes
- $5.0 million in local taxes
