'Wilds' working
State project steering tourists here
Year three of the state-led "Pennsylvania Wilds" tourist promotion strategy continues with aggressive marketing activities.

There are signs that the concerted effort to dissolve county borders and market the Wilds as a region are bearing fruit. The State Commerce Department says tourist spending in the 13-county "Wilds" has risen five percent since the campaign was launched.

At the program's foundation is a partnership of state agencies and local tourist promotion and economic development organizations. Their mission: increasing the number of people spending money in the Pa. Wilds and supporting tourist-related businesses.

Ranked among the strongest attractions in the region, according to a state study, are:

- the largest elk herd in the Northeast;

- hundreds of miles of backpacking trails, bike paths, trout fishing streams;

- some of the darkest skies in the East for stargazing.

Counties covered by the initiative are Potter, Cameron, McKean, Elk, Tioga, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield,

Clinton, Forest, Jefferson,

Lycoming and Warren.

Pennsylvania is committing

millions of dollars to

upgrade state parks, erect

effective signs to guide visitors

to popular attractions, and advertise the Wilds to

potential tourists.

The plan also carries

incentives to encourage

the growth and establishment of nature

tourism and related

businesses in the region; encourage the development of locally made products; and forge a regional marketing partnership of the tourist promotion agencies in the 13-county area.

The Pennsylvania Wilds planning team recently met with PennDOT officials and others involved in transportation planning to coordinate road projects with tourism investments.

Mackin Engineering has been retained by the state to study infrastructure issues (roads, sewer/water, emergency services, etc.) in the Wilds.