Vinton County tourism office reorganizes, adds cultural tourism manager role

Vinton County’s tourism office is moving from an interim setup to a fuller operation, adding a cultural tourism manager and preparing to hire a full-time destination development manager as county officials try to turn the area’s forest, heritage and trail traffic into more overnight stays and more local business activity.

The department, based at 104 W. Main St. in McArthur, said the restructuring is meant to strengthen day-to-day service, improve the visitor experience and support long-term economic development. The office says it was established in 2024, first in interim form in August 2024, and county records list an interim board of tourism made up of Brandi Betts, Bev Goheen, Ellen Lash, Rick Reynolds and Abigail Saylor.

Keirsten Yates, a Vinton County native, is moving from office manager to cultural tourism manager effective immediately. Yates joined the department in May 2025 and studied history at Ohio University, a background the office said fits her new role. Her work will center on researching and developing resources that highlight the county’s arts and history assets for visitors and local residents.

The larger staffing change is the planned destination development manager post. That job is supposed to work with lodge owners, local businesses and the county Department of Development to identify and build tourism-related resources that support the local economy. It also will help coordinate with other county departments and assist with lodging tax management, making the position as much an administrative job as a promotional one.

That matters in Vinton County, where tourism funding is closely tied to the county’s lodging tax structure. A 2023 county notice said the county levies a 6% lodging tax, with 3% going to the Vinton County CVB for advertising and 3% going to the township where the lodging facility is located. County tax records also require short-term rentals to hold a valid tax certificate and remit taxes monthly.

Executive Director Aidan Reagh, who was hired by county commissioners on Feb. 17 after being recommended by the Vinton County Tourism Advisory Board from a field of 18 applicants, said the restructuring is intended to help the office serve the community with a wider range of attractions and experiences. County tourism materials describe Vinton County as Ohio’s least populous county, about 82% forested, and part of the Hocking Hills region, with draws including the Moonville Rail Trail, Moonville Tunnel, covered bridges, state parks and Wayne National Forest land.

The department is also trying to build an internship program with academic institutions and community partners, a step that could give students experience while widening the county’s tourism workforce. The practical test for the new structure will be whether it delivers measurable gains in visitor spending, stronger support for local businesses and better coordination around the lodging tax revenue that helps pay for promotion.