The Blair County Commissioners unanimously approved certification of Discover Blair County during last Wednesday’s meeting, officially launching the area’s new tourism promotion agency.

Under Pennsylvania Act 18 of 2016, county governments can levy a small percentage tax on each hotel room reservation made in their jurisdiction, with this “bed tax” money allocated for use by a designated tourism promotion agency for a variety of destination marketing purposes.

Currently, a little over 50% of Blair County’s annual bed tax income is set aside for use by a TPA, while the remaining portion is split between the ballpark and convention center.

The previous county TPA, Explore Altoona, was formally decertified in March after negotiations between Explore Altoona and the commissioners broke down, leading the commissioners to pursue another TPA more aligned with their vision of expanding Blair County’s outdoor recreation assets.

The commissioners, alongside the Blair Alliance for Business & Economic Growth, had hoped to use a portion of the about $850,000 Explore Altoona receives from the $1.5 million in yearly bed tax revenue to develop trail networks and other outdoor recreation experiences, but Explore Altoona leadership disagreed, leading to the eventual rift and decertification effort.

ABCD Corp. President/CEO Steve McKnight says that marketing efforts led by Discover Blair County in coordination with asset development directed by a trail authority could lead to Blair County becoming a premier destination for outdoor experience travel in the mid-Atlantic region. These combined efforts will, hopefully, result in Blair County becoming the “hub” in a “hub and spokes model” that incorporates existing outdoor assets in the area like the Ghost Town Trail in Cambria County, he said.

In this vision, tourists will stay in Blair County, using that location as a “launchpad” to explore a number of outdoor recreation opportunities across the region, plus downtown shopping areas within the local area.

This model would spur visitor spending at Blair County restaurants, attractions and other businesses, boosting the overall economy, McKnight said.

In the hospitality industry, getting visitors to extend their stay in the region an extra day beyond the length of their initial itinerary is one of the best ways to drive additional spending, so growing current outdoor trail networks from single day to multi-day long hikes will be a top priority, McKnight said.

Getting ready

Blair Alliance staff completed much of the necessary preliminary work setting up the new TPA in anticipation of Wednesday’s successful certification vote.

This included formally incorporating Discover Blair County as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit, updating their website URL and printing a line of branded hats and stickers as well as drafting an advisory board for the new entity.

According to McKnight, this 15-member board will serve staggered three-year terms filled by representatives of key Blair County attractions and hospitality businesses, such as the Altoona Curve, Blair County Convention Center, Blue Knob Ski Resort and Railroaders Memorial Museum.

These advisory board members will offer guidance, input and advice on all Discover Blair County affairs.

According to Railroaders Memorial Museum Executive Director Joe DeFrancesco, Blair Alliance staff approached him to represent the museum on the advisory board, which was a welcome invitation.

As one of the leading attractions in Blair County, DeFrancesco said that the partnership with the new TPA would be a “natural fit.”

DeFrancesco said there is broad alignment in both the museum and Discover Blair County’s vision for the future of the local tourism industry.

“We want to bring more people to Blair County, to all our local attractions and increase overall visitor spending,” he said.

McKnight and DeFrancesco both said that the new TPA will pursue a modern, digital-first advertising and marketing strategy centered on the variety of outdoor recreation, historical attractions and modern entertainment experiences in the area.

This digital-first effort will include a focus on shortform videos that highlight the numerous existing attractions in Blair County targeted at markets across the mid-Atlantic region.

As a part of the partnership, Discover Blair County will use a quarter of the museum’s gift shop to host a “visitors center” offering information on Blair County attractions and merchandise for the new TPA,

McKnight said

The new visitors center area will be located in a “prominent corner of the gift shop near the cash register” that will be staffed by museum employees, DeFrancesco said.

Proceeds from the hats, stickers and other branded apparel sold in the new visitors center will be split between the museum and the new TPA, said DeFrancesco, who estimates the center will be operational by late 2025 or early 2026.

“We’re hoping it’ll be a gateway to Blair County,” he said.

According to Blue Knob Ski Resort Marketing Director Donna Himes, “we would obviously like to see another great marketing of Altoona and the Blair County area, because we’re all made up of businesses that rely on tourism, so we just want the best for everybody.”

Discover Blair County will promote the area as America’s “First Frontier,” McKnight said, an intentional homage to the region’s history dating back to the colonial period and the sense of adventure it engendered.

“It speaks to our history as a trail town, then a rail town, and now becoming a trail town again,” he said.

According to McKnight, while Discover Blair County will operate as the third affiliate entity governed by Blair Alliance, its day to day operations will be led by a full time director and a small number of support staff.

McKnight said that the director, who has not yet been found, will be someone with standout communication skills, experience in destination marketing and an understanding of the existing assets in Blair County.

The new TPA will work out of office space donated by the Blair County Convention Center, and will work in close coordination with Blair Alliance, county commissioners and the new trail authority, he said.

A key component of the new TPA’s duties will be grant writing for Blair County attractions and hospitality businesses to expand their marketing efforts for upcoming events and other “force multiplier” uses, McKnight said.

McKnight did not have specific information regarding how much of the new TPA’s budget will be dedicated to purchasing advertisements versus grant writing, or how large a share of the county’s annual bed tax revenue it will receive.

Under state law, it must receive a minimum of 50% of the annual amount generated by the tax — which would equate to about $750,000 — he said.

With formal certification by the commissioners, Blair Alliance staff will commence an intensive recruitment effort for the director of Discover Blair County, McKnight said, after which actual marketing and promotion work can begin.

Closing up shop

While officially decertified by the commissioners earlier this year, Explore Altoona has not yet ceased its operations, and is currently closing out a handful of remaining contractual obligations.

This includes a summer marketing initiative that included video promotion across three different social media platforms, plus a print ad placement in USA Today GO Escape.

At the time of decertification, Explore Altoona had an existing commitment for a subsequent fall video marketing campaign along similar lines as its summer counterpart that will proceed as scheduled.

According to Executive Director Mark Ickes, “concurrently, staff, board leadership, and legal counsel are in the process of a final dissolution of the organization within the specifics and requirements of the Pennsylvania Non-Profit Corporation Law.”

Mirror Staff Writer Conner Goetz is at 814-946-7535.