The Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau is inviting local residents and visitors to celebrate National Tourism Week through Saturday in recognition of the local, state and federal jobs created by the tourism industry.
In McKean County, 1,144 jobs, with a labor income of $29.8 million, are supported by the travel industry, according to The Economic Impact of Travel in Pennsylvania, Tourism Economics Report for 2014 published in 2016.
Tourism spending impacts a wide range of local businesses, including local restaurants, lodging, retail shops, gas stations, grocery stores, campgrounds, museums, outdoor recreation providers, the Bradford Regional Airport and more. Tourism spending in McKean County was $174.8 million during 2014.
Tourism is a growth industry in McKean County. Travelers stay an average of 3.39 days; spend an average of $78.57 per person, per day, with an average spending of $703.13 per trip.
In the 12 county Pennsylvania Wilds region of McKean, Elk, Forest, Warren, Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Jefferson, Lycoming, Potter, and Tioga counties tourism spending was $1.7 billion during 2014.
An astonishing 482,000 jobs are supported by PA’s travel and tourism industry, representing 6.5 percent of the state’s total employment. Tourism industry sales hit $39.7 billion in 2014 — a new record high representing the fifth straight year of increase. Direct spending by resident and international travelers in the U.S. averaged $2.6 billion a day, $108.1 million an hour, $1.8 million a minute and $30,033 a second.
Leisure travel accounts for nearly four out of five domestic trips taken in the U.S.
Top leisure activities in the U.S. are visiting relatives, shopping, visiting friends, fine dining and beaches. Nationally, spending by the leisure travel market, both domestic and international, totaled $650.8 billion in 2015. In Pennsylvania, total leisure travel spending grew by 1.6 percent in 2014, reaching a new record high of $33.5 billion.
In McKean County, there are no beaches, but it does have more than 600 miles of trails within the four counties of the Allegheny National Forest. Marketed as Trail Central, McKean County has become a major trail destination for leisure travelers. The top three visitor activities in the county are hiking/biking, scenic drives, and visiting a state park or the Allegheny National Forest.
The U.S. received 75 million international visitors in 2015. Of those, approximately 35.2 million came from overseas markets, and 39.7 million came from Canada and Mexico. Overseas travelers spend approximately $4,400 per person when visiting the U.S. and each person stays an average of 18 nights, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce-National Travel and Tourism Office.
In McKean County, international visitors are mainly from Canada, Germany and The Netherlands. The number of Canadian travelers may decrease with the current exchange rate of only .80 to the American dollar. Hopefully, our nearby location and moderately priced attractions, food and beverage costs, and diverse outdoor activities will continue to attract large numbers of Canadian visitors.
The ANF Visitors Bureau has increased its tourism promotion and marketing efforts into Ohio with the intent of attracting additional leisure travelers into McKean County. In order to increase motor coach tours, bureau staff has attended American Bus Association Marketplace, Pennsylvania Bus Marketplace and Maryland Bus Marketplace.
New attractions and new leisure tourism activities are blossoming in McKean County. The $6.3 million dollar, long-anticipated Kinzua Bridge State Park Visitors Center will be opening this year. A-ME-Go Karting, Acme Ammo Machine Gun Adventures, and newly-expanded skydiving packages at FreeFall Oz are just a few of the additional tourism products being offered. Serenity Glass Park has started construction in Port Allegany. Restoration of the historic architectural treasure Lynn Hall is continuing, with a fall art exhibit planned at their location the first weekend of October.
Locally, the ANF Visitors Bureau will celebrate National Tourism Week by hosting the annual Backyard Tour of McKean County. The full day motor coach tour for local tourism employees, shop owners, local officials and residents will visit major tourism sites on Friday to help promote the unique and individual attractions within the county.
Those interested can learn more about local tourism and the ANF Visitors Bureau online atvisitANF.com.
