Armed with more than three-quarters of a million dollars in cash, the local visitor bureau is planning a TV blitz aimed at luring visitors to Sandusky this summer.

Spots urging area residents to "Recharge Your Battery" will begin running May 30 on cable TV systems in Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Pittsburgh.

They'll also be running as streaming videos at Hulu.com, the top TV-watching site on the Internet, and sites such as CBS.com, ABC.com, NBC.com and FOX.com, targeting Internet users in Ohio, Indianapolis, Detroit, Chicago, West Virginia and other areas within a reasonable driving distance of Sandusky, said René Franklin, marketing manager for the visitor bureau.

Joan Van Offeren, executive director of Lake Erie Shores & Islands East, said she's used to running TV spots, but said running video ads on computer sites is a relatively new approach.

"When I heard Hulu, I asked, is that the hoop?" she joked.

The visitor bureau has $793,000 to buy TV and radio time for its ads. That's the media buy only and doesn't include production fees.

Funding for the bureau's budget comes from the bed tax Erie County levies on local hotels.

Until about a couple of years ago, the money had to be split between the bureau and paying off bonds for improvements to U.S. 250, the main corridor into the county's tourist attractions. When the bond payments finished, more money was freed up for the bureau.

Because of that, and because more beds have been added during Erie County's waterpark boom in the past few years, the money available for advertising spots has risen sharply, from about $354,000 in 2005 and about $367,000 in 2007 to this year's $793,000, said Dawn Weinhardt, managing director of Lake Erie Shores & Islands East.

Ron Foth Advertising of Columbus is the agency picked to produce the ads, which encourages families to turn off their electronic devices and "recharge" with a family vacation.

While the primary campaign is aimed at bringing in families with children, the main target for Cedar Point and local waterparks, a secondary campaign targets couples without children and single people by pointing out opportunities to avoid weekend crowds and visit when hotel rates are down.

"There are opportunities to come in September or the middle of the week," Van Offeren said.

Empty nesters can be lured to the area by attractions such as orchards and wineries, she said.

The TV spots are not the visitor bureau's only method of promoting the area.

The visitor bureau has printed 400,000 copies of its digest-sized travel planner, which provides information on local attractions and hotels in Erie and Ottawa counties.

Even when many people get information from the travel bureau's website, many people still like having a traditional publication printed on paper, Van Offeren said.

"It amazes people we still have a need," she said.

But many people like a conveniently-sized publication they can hold in their hands, she said.

Instead of sending out the travel planners, the visitor bureau took the less-expensive route of mailing out large postcards to past visitors, asking them if they want the travel planner. Anyone who responds gets the travel planner mailed back, Van Offeren said.

One of the main features of the travel planner is the "Shore Savings Card," a wallet-sized card that has taken the place of discount coupons. The only coupon in the travel planner is for $5 off for two days at Cedar Point and Soak City.

Other businesses offering a discount are encouraged to honor the Shore Savings Card. Travelers who come to either visitor center -- the Erie County one at 4424 Milan Road or the Ottawa County building at 770 SE Catawba Road -- can get their savings card laminated and get a current list of businesses offering discounts.

Visitors also can look up discounts at ShoresandIslands.com.

Last week's savings list on the website listed discounts for six attractions (including three museums and the Ghostly Manor Thrill Center), 25 hotels and several other local businesses.

The advantage of the card is that businesses can quickly offer a sale, something they can't do with coupons that have to be printed up months in advance, Van Offeren said.

For example, a hotel struggling to fill rooms can suddenly offer 20 percent off its rooms to draw more business, she said.