Governor Rendell Awards $5.4 Million to Tourism Marketing Groups

HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --  To sustain the more than 600,000 tourism jobs in the commonwealth, Governor Edward G. Rendell today announced $5.4 million in grants to help local and regional organizations market tourism attractions across the State of Independence.

"Supporting tourism marketing is vital to small and family businesses across the commonwealth," Governor Rendell said. "Many of these businesses count on the promotions that are made possible by local marketing agencies."

Pennsylvania ranks as the fifth most-visited state, attracting more than 140 million visitors a year, while booking 25 million hotel rooms. Tourism injects $28 billion into the state's economy and provides a cumulative paycheck of $18 billion for hardworking Pennsylvanians.

Under Act 50 of 2008, 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.

The law also 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.

"In addition to the traditional place-based marketing, we are providing funding directly to the state's 'enthusiast-based' industries. These organizations work to promote the golf and snowmobiling opportunities, as well as showcase our heritage areas, artisans and wine trails," said Mickey Rowley, deputy secretary for tourism.

The $5.4 million is to be used to create or expand new and innovative programs that complement the state's tourism promotion efforts, which may include advertising campaigns, public relations strategies, online marketing efforts, and Web site development.

The Pennsylvania Tourism Office, under the state Department of Community and Economic Development, is dedicated to inspiring travel to the State of Independence.

For more information, go to www.visitPA.com or call (800) VISIT PA; become a fan at facebook.com/visitPA; follow us at twitter.com/visitPA; share photos at flickr.com/visitPA; or watch us on youtube.com/visitPA. For a free subscription to Pursuits Magazine, go to visitPA.com/pursuits.

Editor's Note: Listed below are the regional marketing partnership and tourism promotion agency grants that have been awarded for fiscal year 2010-11:

Regional Marketing Partnership place-based grants totaling $1,850,500:

• Pennsylvania Wilds, $200,000, a 12-county region that includes Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, Lycoming, McKean, Potter, Tioga and Warren counties.
• The Alleghenies, $125,000, an eight-county region that includes Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata and Mifflin counties.
• Laurel Highlands, $50,000, a three-county region that includes Fayette, Somerset and Westmoreland counties.
• Dutch Country Roads, $200,000, a nine-county region that includes Adams, Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry and York counties.
• Philadelphia and The Countryside, $647,500, a five-county region that includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.
• Pennsylvania's Great Lakes Region, $110,000, a four-county region that includes Crawford, Erie, Mercer and Venango counties.
• Pittsburgh and its Countryside, $290,000, an eight-county region that includes Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence and Washington counties.
• Upstate PA, $110,000, a 11-county region that includes Bradford, Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties.
• Valleys of the Susquehanna, $68,000, a five-county region that includes Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and Union counties.
• Lehigh Valley, $50,000, a two-county region encompassing Lehigh and Northampton counties.

Regional Marketing Partnership experience-based grants totaling $850,000:

• Pennsylvania Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus, $25,000, to promote group and motorcoach tours.
• Pennsylvania Golf Course Owners Association, $75,000, for further promotion of playing golf in Pennsylvania.
• Ready, Set, Go, PA Sports, administered by the Pennsylvania Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus, $100,000, for the sales and promotion of attracting sporting events to Pennsylvania.
• Pennsylvania Winery Association, $75,000, for promotion of Pennsylvania's wine trails.
• Pennsylvania Artisan Trails, administered by the Perry County Council of the Arts, $75,000, to promote the state's seven artisan trails.
• Pennsylvania Heritage Areas, administered by the PA Route 6 Marketing Partnership, $175,000, for promotion efforts.
• International Tourism Marketing, administered by the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, $275,000, for marketing efforts, trade show attendance, and maintaining a presence in the international tourism marketplace.
• Pennsylvania State Snowmobile Association, $50,000, for promotion of snowmobiling opportunities in the state and including the use of social media.

Tourism Promotion Assistance grants: $2,700,500:

• Allegheny Mountains Convention and Visitors Bureau - $39,606
• Allegheny National Forest Vacation Bureau - $8,072
• Armstrong County Tourist Bureau - $5,208
• Beaver County Recreation and Tourism Department - $9,151
• Bedford County Conference and Visitors Bureau -$14,110
• Brandywine Conference and Visitors Bureau - $40,202
• Bucks County Conference and Visitors Bureau - $87,822
• Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau - $28,507
• Central Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau - $55,725
• Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau - $63,150
• Clearfield County Recreation and Tourism Authority - $11,210
• Clinton County Economic Partnership -$7,024
• Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau - $24,844
• Crawford County Convention and Visitors Bureau - $7,109
• Cumberland Valley Visitors Bureau - $27,550
• Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau - $15,055
• Franklin County Visitors Bureau - $22,605
• Fulton County Chamber of Commerce - $416
• Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau - $35,236
• Greater Johnstown/Cambria County CVB - $16,773
• Greater Reading Convention and Visitors Bureau - $36,339
• Greene County Tourist Promotion Agency -$3,308
• Hershey Harrisburg Regional Visitors Bureau - $114,177
• Huntingdon County Visitors Bureau - $10,369
• Indiana County Tourist Bureau - $8,578
• Lackawanna County Convention and Visitors Bureau - $35,772
• Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau - $69,444
• Lawrence County Tourist Promotion Agency - $3,952
• Lehigh Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau Inc. -$94,821
• Luzerne County Convention and Visitors Bureau - $24,220
• Lycoming County Visitors Bureau - $14,883
• Mercer County Convention and Visitors Bureau - $20,803
• Northwest Pennsylvania's Great Outdoors - $26,052
• Oil Region Alliance of Business, Industry & Tourism - $5,649
• Pennsylvania Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau - $160,270
• Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau - $655,339
• Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau - $223,944
• Potter County Visitors Association - $2,917
• Schuylkill County Visitors Bureau - $8,453
• Susquehanna River Valley - $27,494
• Tioga County Visitors Bureau - $6,650
• Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau - $158,442
• VisitErie - $31,846
• VisitPittsburgh - $343,859
• Warren County Visitors Bureau - $4,309
• Washington Tourism Promotion Agency - $27,667
• York County Convention and Visitors Bureau - $61,568

SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor