Customizable Group Tour Packages Now Available in The Alleghenies

ALTOONA, Pa., March 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- It's never too early to begin planning a group tour outing.  With The Alleghenies new, fully customizable group tour website, operators can develop or adapt tours to fit the needs of their group across a multitude of themes and activities.

Through the new website, www.touralleghenies.com, group tour operators can customize an itinerary by choosing the date range, the number of people, or by selecting a destination area or specific events.  From there, options abound for a 1-5 day tour with themes including adventure/soft adventure, heritage, art & entertainment, dining, and sightseeing, as well as lodging and shopping.  Sample tours are available on the site to help take some of the guesswork out of planning.  Additionally, an interactive map provides a visualization of your tour throughout the region.  A calendar of events assures users won't miss aligning their trip with the best group friendly events.

"The Alleghenies is a familiar and accommodating destination for group tours of all sizes," said Adrienne Eichenlaub, Regional Tourism Program Manager, The Alleghenies.  "With our new online tools, operators can easily navigate the region by creating a tour that's appropriate for their customers."

Here are a few sample itineraries:

Adventure/Soft Adventure

"Following the Canals through The Alleghenies" (3 days/2 nights)

The Alleghenies is home to some of the most famous trout streams in the East, scenic lakes for fishing and boating, rugged hiking trails, rushing streams for whitewater rafting, and the rolling countryside Bicycling Magazine named one of the "five top bicycle areas in the nation."

• Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site  
• Canal boat rides
• Guided kayak/canoe tour
• Lower Trail

Heritage

"Alleghenies Underground" (3 days/2 nights)

These are the lands where Native Americans once hunted and trapped, a revolution was fought, lumbering was king and iron furnaces roared as settlers came to build their homes and farms. In The Alleghenies, the past is all around, preserved, celebrated, and alive.

• Allegheny Portage Railroad NHS
• Penn's Cave & Wildlife Park
• Quecreek Mine Rescue Site
• Seldom Seen Valley Tourist Coal Mine
• Windber Coal Heritage Museum

Sightseeing

Unique architecture, picturesque covered bridges, rolling farmlands, scenic overlooks, historic towns and forts, underground caverns, lush arboretums, mines, museums, and memorials make it easy for your group to discover the beauty of the region.

• Horseshoe Curve
• Living Treasures Wild Animal Park
• Nature Inn at Bald Eagle
• Penn's Cave & Wildlife Park
• Shaver's Creek Environmental Center

The Alleghenies: The Alleghenies Tourism Council is a partnership of organizations interested in further developing the tourism industry and economic development opportunities in an eight county region in Southcentral Pennsylvania.  The Council works under the umbrella of the Southern Alleghenies Planning & Development Commission, a non-profit economic development agency.  For more information on The Alleghenies, call 1-800-458-3433 or visit www.TheAlleghenies.com.

SOURCE The Alleghenies Tourism Council