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Blair County tourism is well on its way to a full recovery, after more than $371 million direct visitor spending in 2022 -- a 14% yearly increase -- a new report has revealed.
The results of the report -- Economic Impact of Pennsylvania's Travel and Tourism Industry -- come as no surprise to Mark Ickes, who, as Explore Altoona's executive director, has been elevating Blair County's profile as a regional travel destination for more than a decade.
"It (2022) was the most compelling year in leisure marketing history for putting Blair County on the map for travel purposes," Ickes said.
Explore Altoona made several sizable investments in 2022, producing a revamped website and a host of new TV and digital marketing campaigns in several key markets.
Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and the Cumberland, Md., area were the top targets, Ickes said, because of their high growth potential to attract more visitors.
"We invested more than three times the digital marketing investment we typically had in the past," Ickes said.
According to the report, 2022's direct visitor spending accounted for more than 99% of the total spent in 2019, which was the highwater mark for Blair County tourist revenue.
That influx of spending supports approximately 2,761 jobs across the county, including full-time hospitality professionals and part-time and seasonal workers at stadiums and amusement parks.
Ickes anticipates this positive trend continuing through 2023, 2024 and into the future, due to corroborating historical data, recent investments in countywide marketing initiatives and rebound growth in travel spending across the state.
In the past decade, Blair County has experienced an overall 30% increase in travel spending, Ickes said.
The local hospitality industry has, as a result, seen steady growth, especially post-pandemic, according to data compiled by Smith Travel Research. Those numbers show Blair County outpaces the average annual rate of growth in hotel room occupancy, average daily rate and revenue per available room across the state.
When compared to similar-size travel markets across Pennsylvania, in 2023, Blair County saw a 1.9% increase in room occupancy while others saw an average 2.7% decrease since 2019.
In that same time period, Blair County saw a 15.3% increase in total hospitality revenue compared to the 9.5% average increase across the commonwealth.
"I think the variety of what Blair County's travel experience is speaks volumes for why people travel here," Ickes said. "We also realize that probably 65 to 70 percent of travel into the market is a result of business travel."
While he did not have specific data available, Ickes said he assumes Sheetz Corp., UPMC Altoona and Norfolk Southern -- all historic anchors of the Altoona economy -- are among the biggest draws to the region.
The remaining 30-35% is accounted for by leisure travel, Ickes said, with family travel and grandparent-initiated travel as the two largest contributors.
This 70-30 ratio has been roughly the same since before the pandemic, Ickes said.
Ickes noted Blair County's bevy of historical attractions -- such as the Altoona Railroaders Museum -- and outdoor recreation opportunities like the 9/11 National Memorial Trail as among the main draws to the region.
Increased spending and investment from outside the area is critical, Blair Alliance for Business and Economic Growth CEO Steve McKnight said via email.
According to McKnight, the Alliance has "doubled down" on efforts to turn visitors into full-time residents and investors. The Alliance works closely with Explore Altoona and the Blair County Chamber of Commerce on several initiatives designed to stimulate local economic growth and attract investment.
"Part of that strategy will be to build new outdoor recreation assets that help to attract and retain people to our community. The more reasons we have for people to visit, live and work here in our community, the more we can attract the next generation workforce and business leaders," McKnight said. "That is our number one goal."
A key part of Explore Altoona's marketing strategy is highlighting the wide variety of different attractions Blair County has to offer, Ickes said.
"We're the home of two amusement parks, great railroad heritage, a blossoming performing and visual arts scene," Ickes said. This helps the destination marketing organization sell visitors on the "classic, authentic fun" of the area.
As the newly installed director of partnership development for Explore Altoona, Patrick Schurr is responsible for nurturing the relationship with, and between, the different businesses, attractions and organizations that drive regional tourism.
Explore Altoona's vision is to strengthen the partners and find new ways to work together, Schurr said.
A large component of Schurr's work is providing partner businesses with the tools to better market themselves individually, while still contributing to the "common message" promoted by Explore Altoona.
"My hope is to sort of get everybody on the same page," Schurr said.
In the past year, Explore Altoona has inked 12 new partnerships with local businesses, including all eight branches of the Blair County Library system.
Bedford Candies, Levity Brewing Co., Urban Air and Rita's of Altoona are among the new partner cohort.
Even businesses outside of Blair County are invited to come onboard -- Glendale Valley Campground in Fallentimber, Cambria County, joined in 2023.
Schurr also has plans for an Alleghenies Tasting Trail, which links several regional breweries, to be announced later this spring.
"That's going to be a big deal for a lot of people," he added.
Another component of Schurr's job is hosting educational seminars for current partners, to inform them of different ways to improve their business and marketing approach.
The next seminar on the agenda is tailored to restaurants and hotels, and how they can better utilize photography and social media to advertise their offerings.
These events are also a networking opportunity for partners and a chance for Schurr to help "connect the dots."
"So you know there's history at Baker Mansion, at the same time you know it connects to the history of the railroad ... and of course you have the Curve," Schurr said, "there's so many things you can put together, and it's making those connections for and with the partners."
Mirror Staff Writer Conner Goetz is at 814-946-7535.