VisitClearfieldCountyhas been doing a lot to promote tourism while enjoying many of the assetsClearfieldCountyoffers over the past six months.
“Probably, the biggest thing that has happened is the induction of the West Branch of the Susquehanna Byway,” said Holly Komonczi, VCC executive director.
Clearfieldis the 19th byway in the state ofPennsylvania. The program’s goal is to recognize and promote outstanding corridors throughout theU.S., promote tourism and protect the resources that make these hidden treasures outstanding. Komonczi said it was a big honor for them; they had been working on it for about four years.
Komonczi said the economy and gas prices contribute to the challenges that VCC has been facing.
“It’s the fact that people aren’t as secure to travel as they would be in a better economy,” Komonczi said.
Another big challenge Komonczi said that VCC faces is people who live inClearfieldand take it for granted.
“Our own population doesn’t realize what assets we have,” Komonczi said. County hotels, Komonczi said, have been anywhere from 85-95 percent occupancy.
The goals for the first six months of 2012 for her staff were to promote the river, Komonczi said. The river is going to be the main focus for the travel planner this year.
In January 2012, the West Branch of theSusquehanna Riverwas designated as one of the best adventure destinations for 2012, by National Geographic.
“We’re really using that as our focus and really paying attention to the river and all the things surrounding the river,” Komonczi said.
VCC has increased their partnership by approximately 15 percent; partnership is free as opposed to a paid membership.
“Another one of my big goals was to really buildClearfieldCountyas a destination in the eyes of the state,” Komonczi said. “In the tourism and marketing, I think I’ve seen some big accomplishments there as far as letting people know we are a destination and we mean business.”
There has also been an increase in hotel stays from Marcellus Shale. As far as hotel tax revenue, VCC is seeing an impact in hotel stays from a couple of things, Komonczi said.
“But one big thing is travelers on Interstate 80 are staying here more because we have the rooms readily available, where the workers have pushed them our way,” Komonczi said.
She said it is not necessarily the workers that are staying here impacting the hotels though; the industry itself has really been a push on hotel stays in the area. Hotel taxes fund VCC.
Upcoming projects in the works for the VCC areRaceClearfieldCounty, different road trips, customer service and their travel planner.
