Shores & Islands Ohio

Name

Shores & Islands Ohio

Legal name

Shores & Islands Ohio

Website

https://shoresandislands.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing / Tourism Services

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation (487)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Shore Excursion & Port Services Operators (THAKAEAE)

Keywords

• Regional tourism marketing
• Destination marketing organization
• Visitor information services
• Travel guide services
• Event promotion services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sandusky

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tourism Promotion Services: As a regional tourism bureau, Shores & Islands Ohio operates primarily through funding from local tourism taxes, membership fees from tourism-related businesses, and promotional partnerships. The organization drives visitors to the region through marketing initiatives, event promotion, and visitor services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Shores & Islands Ohio is a regional destination marketing organization that promotes Lake Erie tourism across Erie and Ottawa counties, Ohio. It sells no consumer products directly; instead, it provides free visitor information, travel guides, event calendars, accommodation referrals, and promotional marketing services for the destination. Revenue is derived from local tourism taxes, membership fees from tourism-related businesses, and promotional partnerships.

Product overview

Shores & Islands Ohio operates as a regional tourism bureau for Erie and Ottawa counties along Lake Erie, functioning as a destination marketing organization rather than a traditional product company. The organization offers a suite of digital and physical services including a comprehensive tourism portal (shoresandislands.com), the Lake Erie Love Blog for content marketing, The SHORE Line Podcast, live webcams, a downloadable travel guide, the Shore Savings discount program, and email newsletters. The portfolio also includes signature events like the LKSD120 cycling experience. These offerings work together to promote tourism, provide visitor resources, and market the region's attractions, accommodations, dining, and events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• America 250: Heritage celebration initiative marking the 250th anniversary of American independence, featuring historical tours and community programs in Erie and Ottawa counties.

Products and services

• Shores & Islands Ohio Tourism Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• LKSD120 cycling event raised nearly $10,000 for Cleveland Angels foster community support

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cleveland AngelscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Since 2021, the LKSD120 cycling event has partnered with Cleveland Angels, an organization supporting foster families throughout Northeast Ohio. Rider donations and merchandise sales have generated nearly $10,000 for foster communities.
• Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife RefugecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFriends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 1997 that supports the conservation mission of Ohio's only national wildlife refuge complex by acquiring land, engaging the community, and enhancing public access. The organization funds wildlife watching programs, maintains trails, and supports visitor education at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge.
• Ohio Travel AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerState tourism industry association membership providing networking, advocacy, and marketing support for Ohio destinations.
• Ohio Tourism Logo PartnerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Ohio tourism partner with authorization to use state tourism branding and participate in statewide marketing initiatives.
• Ohio Association of Convention BureausminorGTM or Marketing PartnerState association membership connecting the organization with other Ohio convention and visitors bureaus for regional tourism coordination.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Destination Cleveland: Regional destination marketing organization for Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Directly comparable as a state-level DMO promoting Northeast Ohio tourism, overlapping in visitor geography with Shores & Islands Ohio.
• Visit Buffalo Niagara: DMO for the Buffalo-Niagara region in Western New York, across Lake Erie from Shores & Islands. Comparable as a Great Lakes regional destination marketing organization targeting leisure and group travel.
• Visit Erie (PA): Regional DMO for the Erie, Pennsylvania area on the southern Lake Erie shoreline. Comparable in scale, mission, and product mix (beaches, islands, heritage tourism, family attractions) to Shores & Islands Ohio.
• Experience Columbus: Ohio statewide regional DMO. Comparable in structure and funding model as a member-based destination marketing organization, although serving a more urban market.

Broad incumbents

• TourismOhio: Statewide tourism office that Shores & Islands Ohio partners with (Ohio Tourism Logo Partner). Operates the broader statewide DMO function while Shores & Islands handles regional promotion in the Lake Erie counties.
• Visit Detroit: Michigan-based regional DMO promoting Detroit and southeast Michigan. Comparable as a Great Lakes destination marketing organization with multi-channel content and event-driven tourism promotion.
• Pure Michigan: Statewide Michigan tourism brand and DMO. Comparable in scope as a Great Lakes state-level destination marketing effort that regional DMOs like Shores & Islands feed into.
• Travel Wisconsin: Wisconsin's statewide DMO. Comparable as a Midwest state-level destination marketing organization with content, events, and partner network approach analogous to Shores & Islands Ohio.
• VisitPA: Pennsylvania statewide DMO. Comparable in mission to drive regional tourism through content marketing, events, and partner networks, similar in operational structure to Shores & Islands Ohio.

Others

• Simpleview: Destination marketing organization (DMO) technology and CRM platform provider. Directly comparable as a vendor/ecosystem enabler for DMOs; Shores & Islands Ohio's website assets use Simpleview's image CDN infrastructure, indicating a direct vendor relationship.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/shoresandislands
• Instagraminstagram.com/shoresandislands
• YouTubeyoutube.com/shoresandislands
• Xx.com/ShoresIslandsOH

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shores & Islands Ohio