CLEARFIELD – It is not often one will claim to be proud of a second-place finish, but the Clearfield County Recreation and Tourism Authority is touting new tourism data that places the county second in the Pennsylvania Wilds.
New data released by the Pennsylvania State office of Tourism shows that Clearfield County ranks second in the 12-county PA Wilds with more than $160 million spent in 2005, the most recent year for which data is available.
Lycoming County came in first.
“I think it’s a noteworthy accomplishment,” said Wes Weymers, CCRTA board president.
CCRTA Director Sandy Fink-Barrett said that the state invested $5,000 in that year for tourism in Clearfield County, meaning that for every $1 the state invested, $32,000 was made.
In addition, Clearfield County’s contribution to the PA Wilds tourism gross state product was $143.5 million.
The study also showed that more than 12 percent of the county’s workforce is directly or indirectly related too tourism. Tourism wages in 2005 were nearly $109.7 million.
Tourism also generated more than $40 million in tax revenues annually.