Gardner gets award for helping tourism

SANDUSKY — State. Sen. Randy Gardner, R-Bowling Green, became the first state lawmaker to win the top honor from the state's travel industry.The Ohio Travel Association recently honored Gardner with its Paul Sherlock Legend in Ohio Travel Award. The award has been given out since 1975."I've always believed that tourism is one of the most important economic drivers for Ohio, and especially the Senate district that I represent," said Gardner, whose district includes Erie and Ottawa counties. "This is just part of my work in the Senate to advocate for our region and try to do what's best for Ohio's economy."He continued: "Tens of thousands of jobs, thousands of small businesses are directly impacted by the tourism economy. It's not just about fishing, it's not just about the islands and Cedar Point."Melinda Huntley, executive director of the Ohio Travel Association, said Gardner has done many things to help the tourism industry.Gardner played a big role in boosting the amount of money Ohio spends to promote tourism, including promoting a new formula which should continue to increase marketing dollars, Huntley said.He's been an important advocate for Lake Erie and combatting the harmful algal blooms that threaten to harm lake tourism, she said.Gardner also does a good job of communicating with the travel industry by making sure officials know about issues on the horizon, and asking how issues will impact the industry, Huntley said."From the day we first met, he grasped the importance of travel as an economic driver immediately and has been doing all he can to ensure businesses in our industry continue to grow," she said.The Ohio Travel Association indicated travel supports more than 427,000 Ohio jobs and generates more than $6.5 billion in local, state and federal taxes.Reach reporter Tom Jackson at jackson@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @jacksontom.Sen. Randy Gardner, right, with Debbie Robinson of the Cambridge/Guernsey County Convention and Visitors Bureau. She's last year's winner of the Paul Sherlock Legend in Ohio Travel Award.