Growth in the Middle: How Warren and Butler counties are Capturing the Golden Goose of Destination Tourism

Tourism is big business if you can get it, and they’ve got it good in Warren and Butler counties – to the tune of $3.2 billion in local economic impact, according to a 2024 study commissioned by the state of Ohio.

Tourism in the two counties, comprising the Cincinnati-Dayton corridor, is changing as it grows. Visitation numbers have depended overwhelmingly on a single tentpole, Kings Island, since the park opened in 1972. The Cincinnati Open’s move to Mason in 1979 brought another significant attraction, albeit confined to one week in August.

Miami University’s academic calendar, from move-in to parents’ weekend to graduation, has filled hotels throughout Butler County since time immemorial.

Several of the corridor’s main attractions, however – the Warren County Sports Park among them – have popped up in just the last few years. Spooky Nook Champion Mill opened in Hamilton in 2022; it drew more than 1 million visitors in 2024.

The Voices of America Country Music Festival appeared from nowhere in 2023; 100,000 people attended in its second year.

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