Any Blair County resident who recalls the Sunday afternoon mystery tours of about a half-century ago knows that it was during those years that “tourism enlightenment” really began to blossom here.

To participate in the tours, couples or families obtained “sealed orders” at a designated location and followed the directions therein, which enabled participants to see and experience Blair tourism assets that they might not otherwise ever have enjoyed.

Participants could exit their vehicles if they wished, at times, or just continue driving the tour’s specified route.

It was a new twist to the traditional Sunday drive. It also was a time when few people pondered the likelihood of a convention center ever existing in this county.

Yet, so many positive things on the tourism front have happened here during the past five decades, and there still are untapped opportunities for consideration, especially connected with the county’s storied railroad history.

But tourism development costs considerable money, and capitalizing on the opportunities here — as tourism leaders over the years have been keenly aware — involves superior planning skills, as well as a strong dedication to purpose.

Such skills and dedication have existed, and continue to exist, although there have been the proverbial ups and downs regarding what has been able to be accomplished and what has had to be postponed to whenever.

As 2020 began, no one had any reason to anticipate that local tourism ideas and initiatives would be thrust into deep uncertainty for a prolonged period of time. People here had no idea that the words “coronavirus,” “COVID-19” and “pandemic” would become the basis for so many detours in their lives, as well as their communities and supporting entities, including tourism.

They didn’t imagine that before spring’s arrival they would be harboring deep fears regarding their own lives and future, as well as loved ones’.

A March 23 Mirror article headlined “Tourism promotion compared to 1980 launch” recounted the start of the “You’ve got a friend in Pennsylvania” tourism initiative during the administration of Gov. Dick Thornburgh. The campaign, based on market research showing travelers giving the Keystone State high marks for beautiful scenery and friendly people, involved TV and magazine ads, posters, bumper stickers, buttons and also a theme song.

New slogans and state-level initiatives followed “You’ve got a friend,” and those efforts provided additional guidance to the commonwealth’s 67 counties on how to capitalize on the rich tourism assets within their borders.

This year the state Department of Community and Economic Development planned to launch a new media campaign using Pennsylvania’s current slogan “Pennsylvania. Pursue Your Happiness.” It seems unlikely that there will be room for that campaign amid the battle against the coronavirus.

Rather than kicking off the campaign this year, it would be better if state officials retooled it for the situation that is likely to exist next year, presumably after the pandemic is over.

The coronavirus will be defeated, but many good things will have to step aside temporarily. Tourism promotion is one of them.

That acknowledged, there is no prohibition against tourism planning for 2021 — hopefully a time without mystery as to whether Blair County and the rest of the state can enjoy and profit from the many resources with which they are blessed.