The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that the city of Marietta Ohio, about 120 miles west of Columbus, is focusing on riverfront tourism to spur its economic development plan. The Ohio River Sternwheel Festival held in September has turned into a major draw that's encouraging urban development. “It sells out the hotel rooms, the campsites,” said Carrie Ankrom, president of the Marietta Chamber of Commerce Ankrom said. “I mean, Marietta is full this weekend.”
This is more than a fun celebration. It’s part of the city’s economic development strategy. While many nearby communities are banking their futures on manufacturing, power generation and the coming plastics production, Marietta is also focused on river tourism and outdoor recreation. “Well if you take a walk down Front Street, a couple of years ago we had a lot of empty buildings,” Ankrom said.
More recently, though, the downtown has been gaining some steam. Historic brick buildings have been renovated for offices and for stores that sell women’s clothing, chocolate and local wines. The restaurant of a century-old hotel looks out over the Ohio River. All of this has contributed to Marietta’s designation by the Travel Channel as one of the country’s 50 most charming small towns.
Marietta has gotten more national attention as the focus of the best-selling book, “The Pioneers,” by famed historian, David McCullough, as the first settlement of the Northwest Territory at the confluence of the Ohio and Muskingum rivers. Those rivers still define the city.
“From our perspective, having the rivers here is really vital to our local economy,” said Cristie Thomas, of the nonprofit Marietta Main Street. “It’s beautiful to look at, and folks adore it.”
