Tourism continues to make impact on Greene County economy
The latest figures ranking Pennsylvania counties on the basis of tourism and visitor spending are now in.
In 2016, Greene County came in 58th among the state’s 67 counties, ranking ahead of Cameron, Sullivan, Fulton, Forest, Juniata, Potter, Perry, Wyoming and Mifflin Counties, in that order.
Furthermore, according to numbers released by The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, visitor spending in Greene County totaled $76 million, which is down $13.2 million from the previous year of 2015.
“A large portion of our travel income is business related,” said Joanne Marshall, the tourism director for the Greene County Tourist Promotion Agency (GCTPA). “The recent decline in shale gas fracking industry activity in the area made a significant impact on our county tourism.”
The statistics were gathered by Tourism Economics, a company contracted by the PA Tourism Office to gather information statewide. According to Marshall, Tourism Economics uses a formula and research methodology that assesses ten indicators such as hotels and lodging and restaurant sales to come up with its final analysis.
“One of the biggest impacts on our county’s tourism is transportation,” Marshall said. “The county lies along the I-79 corridor, a huge artery from which we draw people who stop for gas, meals and other services along the way.”
Another tourism asset is the PENNDOT Welcome Center near Mount Morris. In 2016, the center hosted 502,246 customers (those who approached the information desk for assistance) and does not include travelers who stopped but didn’t visit the desk.
As part of the “Pittsburgh and Its Countryside” initiative, the welcome center stocks brochures from across the state with an emphasis on those that spotlight attractions in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The GCTPA stocks the official Greene County Visitors Guide at the center as well as an official county map and brochures for local attractions such as 5 Kidz Kandy, High Point Raceway and the Greene County Historical Society.
Last year, the agency distributed 15,000 copies of the visitors guide. In 2018, that figure jumped to 25,000 and included seven new distribution sites. The new sites are five I-79 rest stops, one each in Allegheny, Lawrence and Crawford Counties and 2 in Mercer County as well as two Turnpike Plazas, one in Somerset and another in Westmoreland County. The Visitors Guide is also available at all 15 state welcome centers.
County Commissioner Blair Zimmerman, a member of the GCTPA board of directors, said that Greene County doesn’t have the “home run attractions” like bigger counties near large cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
“I take our ranking with a grain of salt because we don’t have things like the casino in Washington County or the professional sports teams in large urban areas,” he said. “I feel our numbers are good for what we do have. Our hotel and lodging registrations, for instance, are up 6 to 7 percent this year, and our occupancy rate is in the low 80s.”
County festivals continue to do well with a good number of people attending the King Coal, Sheep and Fiber, 50s and Rain Day festivals, Riverfest and Art Blast on the Mon. The Jacktown and Greene County fairs continue to be popular, and both the Warrior Trail and Greene River Trail draw hikers and bicyclists.
The county recently acquired Wisecarver Dam and is considering plans to install three new softball fields, expand the existing natural trails and put in a boat ramp for canoes and kayaks. The PA Fish Commission has also been stocking the creek at locations near the dam.
Something new that should boost tourist numbers is the Mason-Dixon Grand National Cross Country, scheduled for September 29 and 30 at Matthew’s Farm across from High Point Raceway. The all day event will feature both amateur and professional motorbike and ATV races. The practice sessions are set for the morning and races will be in the afternoon up until dusk.
For a heavily wooded and rural county, Greene County, according to Zimmerman, is not the hunting mecca it once was. He said that, on the first day of deer season, traffic was backed up for miles on High Street, which is no longer the case.
“I lived in Greene County all my life and love it here,” Zimmerman said. “As a member of the tourism board, I’m open to suggestions on how to improve and add to our tourist assets.”
Something Marshall would like to see in the future is more people starting up small businesses that serve the tourist trade with amenities like bike, canoe and kayak rental operations.
“I’d also like to see more (Bed & Breakfasts) open up,” she said. “Right now, we have only a small handful.”