Governor Rendell Announces $15.6 Million Investment in Tourism Promotion
Governor Rendell Announces $15.6 Million Investment in Tourism Promotion
New Law Redefines Funding Process
HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/—Governor Edward G. Rendell today announced the investment of $15.6 million to boost tourism promotion efforts across the commonwealth, especially in the area of regional marketing.
The Governor signed Tourism Promotion Assistance legislation (Act 50) into law this past summer to replace the antiquated matching funds grant program, and to provide dedicated support for regional marketing partnerships.
“We were long overdue to establish an equitable and effective means of supporting tourism promotion efforts in Pennsylvania,” Governor Rendell said. “Not only does this law create an even playing field for tourism promotion agencies but it supplies dedicated support for regional efforts, which have proven effective.”
Under the new law, recognized tourism promotion agencies are awarded funding based on a formula that weighs the agency’s eligible expenses, hotel room revenues, and an evaluation of the proposed use for the funding. Additionally, the law provides funding for regional marketing partnership organizations in two categories: place- and experience-based. Place-based organizations work to promote a specific region of the state while experience-based organizations promote a unique experience or activity.
“The support we are announcing today is not one of whimsy. We met with members of the funded organizations, the Governor’s Tourism Partnership and leadership in the legislature to shape this new law,” said Mickey Rowley, deputy secretary for tourism at the Department of Community and Economic Development. “It was essential that we made support for regional marketing a law. Tourists are not shy about crossing county borders so it is important that we endorse these regional partnerships.”
Funding provided through the Act 50 is to be used to create or expand new and innovative programs that complement the commonwealth’s tourism promotion efforts, which may include advertising campaigns, public relations strategies, online marketing efforts, and Web site development.
Pennsylvania is the fourth-most visited state in the country, with an estimated 138 million visitors annually. Travelers to Pennsylvania spent approximately $27 billion in 2007, including nearly $20 billion by leisure visitors on transportation, food, rooms, shopping, entertainment, and other items, representing more than a 20 percent increase since 2002.
For more information about Pennsylvania’s tourism industry, go to visitPa.com or call 800-VISITPA.
The Rendell administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell’s initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit http://www.governor.state.pa.us.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Below are the regional marketing partnership and tourism promotion agency grants that have been awarded for fiscal year 2008-09:
Regional Marketing Partnership place-based grants totaling $5,166,980:
Pennsylvania Wilds Tourism Marketing Corporation, $100,000, a 12-county region that includes Warren, McKean, Potter, Tioga, Forest, Elk, Cameron, Clinton, Lycoming, Clarion, Jefferson, and Clearfield.
The Alleghenies, $425,000, an eight-county region that includes Bedford, Fulton, Cambria, Blair, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata, and Centre.
Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau, $150,000, a three-county region that includes Wyoming, Fayette, and Somerset.
Dutch Country Roads, $400,000, an eight-county region that includes Franklin, Adams, York, Lancaster, Cumberland, Dauphin, Perry, and Lebanon.
Philadelphia and the Countryside, $1,897,440, a five-county region that includes Philadelphia, Chester, Bucks, Delaware, and Montgomery.
Pennsylvania’s Great Lakes Region, $300,000, a four-county region that includes Erie, Crawford, Mercer, and Venango.
Pittsburgh and its Countryside, $1,397,500, an eight-county region that includes Lawrence, Butler, Armstrong, Indiana, Beaver, Allegheny, Washington, and Greene.
Northeast Pennsylvania Mountains Region, $350,000, a 10-county region that includes Bradford, Susquehanna, Wayne, Sullivan, Wyoming, Lackawanna, Pike, Luzerne, Monroe, and Carbon.
Valleys of the Susquehanna, $150,000, a five-county region that includes Columbia, Montour, Union, Northumberland, and Snyder.
Regional Marketing Partnership experience-based grants totaling $625,000:
Culinary Tourism in Pennsylvania, $50,000, for development of the Pennsylvania Culinary Society.
Pennsylvania Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus, $75,000, for administrative support for group tours and sales missions.
Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, $50,000, for international trade shows and sales missions.
Pennsylvania Golf Course Owners Association, $100,000, for further promotion of golfing in Pennsylvania.
Ready, Set, Go, PA Sports, $175,000, for the sales and promotion of attracting sporting events to Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Ski Areas Association, $100,000, for the further development and promotion of skipa.com.
Pennsylvania Winery Association, $75,000, for promotion of Pennsylvania’s wine trails.
Tourism Promotion Assistance grants totaling $9,867,060:
Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau $137,969
VisitPittsburgh $1,093,830
Armstrong County Tourist Bureau $17,066
Beaver County Recreation and Tourism Department $22,958
Bedford County Conference and Visitors Bureau $45,158
Greater Reading Convention and Visitors Bureau $169,425
Allegheny Mountains Convention and Visitors Bureau $177,427
Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau $54,523
Bucks County Conference and Visitors Bureau $307,873
Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau $125,441
Greater Johnstown/Cambria County CVB $74,510
Central Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau $230,562
Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau $273,065
Northwest Pennsylvania’s Great Outdoors $92,152
Clearfield County Recreation and Tourism Authority $46,283
Clinton County Economic Partnership $16,475
Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau $94,357
Crawford County Convention and Visitors Bureau $33,409
Cumberland Valley Visitors Bureau $97,028
Hershey Harrisburg Regional Visitors Bureau $363,372
Brandywine conference and Visitors Bureau $101,610
VisitErie $132,630
Franklin County Visitors Bureau $67,174
Fulton County Chamber of Commerce $3,092
Greene County Tourist Promotion Agency $18,694
Huntingdon County Visitors Bureau $35,309
Indiana County Tourist Bureau $30,684
Juniata River Valley Visitors Bureau $13,818
Lackawanna County Convention and Visitors Bureau $94,740
Pennsylvania Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau $574,796
Lawrence County tourist Promotion Agency $16,164
Lehigh Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau Inc. $345,227
Luzerne County Convention and Visitors Bureau $112,103
Lycoming County Visitors Bureau $60,019
Allegheny National Forest Vacation Bureau $26,972
Mercer County Convention and Visitors Bureau $72,315
Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau $1,075,399
Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau $713,827
Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau $2,096,495
Potter County Visitors Association $13,355
Schuylkill County Visitors Bureau $27,786
Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau $271,901
Tioga County Visitors Bureau $26,757
Susquehanna River Valley $106,321
Oil Region Alliance of Business, Industry & Tourism $22,796
Warren County Visitors Bureau $24,194
Washington Tourism Promotion Agency $64,168
York County Convention and Visitors Bureau $245,830
CONTACT:
Chuck Ardo
717-783-1116
Michael Chapaloney
717-720-1301 (Tourism)
Source: Pennsylvania Office of the Governor
CONTACT: Chuck Ardo of the Pennsylvania Office of the Governor,
+1-717-783-1116; or Michael Chapaloney, Tourism, +1-717-720-1301
Web Site: http://www.governor.state.pa.us/