BRIGHT SPOT IN ECONOMIC GLOOM

(Tataboline "Ta" Brant is small business ombudsman for the Pennsylvania Wilds, a statesponsored tourist marketing campaign. She can be contacted at tbrant@pawilds.com.)

Hundreds of thousands of new visitors have come to the Pennsylvania Wilds since the state started working with local authorities six years ago to brand and market the region and upgrade its visitor infrastructure.

But just as the initiative was getting real traction in the region's business community, the nation's economy went to pot. I am pleased to report that, despite the hard times, several tourism-related businesses and events in the region say they are growing.

The Wilds has long been a place for nature lovers and for families looking to get away on a budget, and now more than ever those characteristics seem to be capturing people's attention.

Rick Henrich of Rock, River and Trail Outfitters in Clinton County reports that while kayak sales are down, his shuttles, rentals and guided trips are up. "People are staying closer to home and doing more things that they have wanted to try," he said.

In the Pine Creek valley of Lycoming County, Glenn Mc- Connell reports that business is "outstanding" at his country store and fly shop. Sales are down for gift trinkets, but up for sporting goods, fishing supplies and groceries.

Tioga County-based Nature Quest, an outfitter packaging tours across multiple counties, has been in expansion mode for three years.

Allegheny Cellars Winery, in Warren County, reports that business is up 20 percent over the previous year.

Several small, family-run businesses (horse-draw wagon rides; pontoon boat tours; canoe livery, rental cabins, etc.) have opened around the region this year, too. Other small tourism businesses are planning expansions.

Reservations at Buckaloons campground, part of the Allegheny National Forest, continue to climb, said Edward Prince, general manager of Allegheny Site Management Inc. Perhaps equally as telling are his company's recent expansion plans: amid the troubled economy, Allegheny Site Management this summer has gone from managing 14 campgrounds to managing 19, nearly doubling their seasonal workforce, from 22 to 40.

Prince agreed that in hard times, people seem to look more to the country's public lands and waterways. He saw it first last summer, when fuel hit $4.00 a gallon. He said he thought that would have a negative impact on business but in fact the opposite happened.

Many tourism-related events in the region have also held their own this year or have seen an increase in attendance and participation.

Not everyone is having a good season. Several businesses in the region - some in the tourism industry - have inquired recently about the federal government's no-interest ARC loans, which are designed to help viable small businesses stay afloat.

Hotel occupancy in the Pennsylvania Wilds also took a hit this year - down 6.4 percent from this time last year. Still, when compared to other tourism regions around the country (many of which have seen double-digit declines), the Pennsylvania Wilds numbers look good.