DUBOIS – The same Pennsylvania Travel Guide that made headlines last week for claiming the state Capitol building is in Philadelphia includes scant mention of the state’s northwest region, according to five lawmakers who penned a letter to Anne Ryan, deputy secretary of the Office of Tourism.
The 128-page guide has about a half dozen references to northwest Pennsylvania. The guide also labeled a picture of the Capitol in Harrisburg as the “Philadelphia State Capitol, Philadelphia.”
Rep. Mike Armanini (R-Elk/Clearfield) brought his concerns about the guide to fellow legislators, including Reps. Martin Causer (R-Cameron/McKean/Potter), Dallas Kephart (R-Cambria/Clearfield), Kathy Rapp (R-Crawford/Forest/Warren) and Brian Smith (R-Indiana/Jefferson). They joined to ask Ryan for a meeting to discuss the limited attention given to tourism activities located north of Interstate 80.
“Our region is full of great activities all year long,” Armanini said. “Every weekend, I’m enjoying local festivals, elk migration, restaurants, festivals, distilleries and wineries, and other activities. I find it hard to fathom how the Department of Community and Economic Development could give so little attention to a region that has so much to offer.”
The House Tourism, Recreation and Economic Development Committee used northwest Pennsylvania as the backdrop to host tourism officials in both the spring and fall of 2025.
The representatives’ letter notes how the lack of visibility will adversely impact local businesses and tourism revenues.
“The signatories on this letter are immensely proud of the Pennsylvania Wilds, and we want more people to experience what we have the privilege to see and do every day,” Armanini said.
