Durden Outdoor

Courtesy of OAAA.org

State tourism is a growing category for the outdoor advertising industry. During tough economic times travelers are looking for closer-to-home destinations for family vacations.

Happy with the success of the "Pure Michigan" tourism campaign, the state of Michigan will continue funding the program in 2010. Funding for the Michigan Promotion Fund could get $13 million annually from a new $2.50-per-day assessment on rental vehicles. An additional $8 million could also be raised from earmarking a portion of sales and use tax collections from certain tourism-related businesses.

The "Pure Michigan" campaign has won several awards with a key element in the program being outdoor advertising.

The state of Maine has successfully used outdoor advertising in recent years to attract visitors despite the fact outdoor advertising is not permitted in that state. Vermont has also used outdoor advertising successfully over the years, another state where outdoor advertising is banned. Both states use billboards in neighboring states to entice travelers.

According to the US Travel Association, Americans are sticking to their cars when making travel decisions. These findings present a unique opportunity for the outdoor advertising industry to target state tourism funds.