Vinton County tourism hires first destination development manager
Jessica Fritz’s hiring adds a new tourism post in McArthur, with lodging-tax work, grants and partnerships now at the center of Vinton County’s push.
Jessica Fritz became Vinton County Department of Tourism’s first Destination Development Manager on June 29, expanding the office into project management, business partnerships and economic development.
The new role grew out of an April restructuring that shifted Keirsten Yates from office manager to Cultural Tourism Manager and set out plans to hire a full-time destination development professional. The post is tied to work with lodge owners, local businesses and the Vinton County Development Office, along with lodging-tax efforts and internship ideas with academic partners.
Discover Vinton County is the county’s tourism office at 104 W. Main St. in McArthur. Established in 2024, it is the official visitors center and its mission is to promote responsible tourism growth as an economic development strategy. Tourism in Vinton County has been on the rise.
Aidan Reagh was hired as executive director on Feb. 17 after a unanimous vote by the Vinton County Commissioners, following a recommendation from the tourism advisory board and interviews with 18 applicants. County pages list Yates as cultural tourism manager and Reagh as executive director.
TourismOhio data show visitor activity generated $57 billion in economic impact and $4.7 billion in state and local tax revenues in Ohio in 2024, supporting more than 443,000 jobs statewide. The new hire comes as Vinton County tries to convert its location in the Hocking Hills region into more overnight stays and more local spending.
On July 25, 2024, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources announced a $2.825 million abandoned-mine-land reclamation project at the 158-acre McArthur Brick Company Historic Preserve in the McArthur area, a site linked to the county’s heritage tourism plans. Plans also put Hotel McArthur tentatively slated for completion in 2025 and the only hotel in the area, a change that could expand lodging-tax receipts beyond short-term rentals.
The department has also used mini-grants to support tourism-related businesses and organizations.
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