A Bright Spot: Amid hard times, some PA Wilds tourism businesses, events thrive
By Tataboline Brant
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 Pennsylvania Wilds initiative was getting real traction in the region’s business community, the nation’s economy went to pot. As bad news mounted, many wondered how tourism businesses in our region were faring.
Like most places in America, the Pennsylvania Wilds region has been hit by layoffs and job losses. But amid the hard times, several tourism-related businesses and events in the region say they are growing.
The Pennsylvania 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, business owners say.
“The economy is bad but people are finding inexpensive ways to make themselves feel better with outdoor recreation,” said Rick Henrich of Rock, River & Trail Outfitters in Clinton County. He said that while his kayak sales are down compared to last year, his shuttles, kayak rentals and guided trips are up.
“We scheduled more trips this year and every one sold out,” Henrich said. “People are staying closer to home and doing more things that they either have wanted to try or enjoy but in other parts of the world.”
Farther north, in the Pine Creek Valley in Lycoming County, Glenn McConnell didn’t hesitate when asked how business was at McConnell’s Country Store & Fly Shop. “You probably don’t hear this too much, but it’s outstanding,” he said.
McConnell said sales are down for gift trinkets but up for sporting goods, fishing supplies and groceries. “People aren’t spending money on things that are going to sit on a shelf at home and collect dust,” he said.
McConnell said he’s seen a significant increase in business since the popular Pine Creek Rail Trail extended into Waterville, where his store is located, in 2006. He was grateful that the township and state worked together to install an access ramp from the trail to the parking lot shared by his store and the historic Waterville Tavern, a restaurant and pub. “That was a real boost to business,” McConnell said.
McConnell is expanding this year – opening Little Pine State Park Boat Rentals, a concession at the state park where people can rent kayaks, paddleboats and other watercraft to use by the hour or day on Little Pine Lake.
Farther north still, Tioga County-based Nature Quest is one of the region’s main outfitters; they package tours across multiple counties that cover a range of activities. Nature Quest has been in expansion mode for three years, said Jennifer Puckett, who handles sales and marketing. Nature Quest’s numbers went down from 2007 to 2008, Puckett said, but the company is planning for an increase this year, now that the economy has stabilized.
“We find that people who live closer to us are taking short trips and exploring more local activities,” she said.
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 during these hard economic times.
Hotel occupancy in the Pennsylvania Wilds also took a hit this year – down 6.4 percent from this time last year, according to Smith Travel Research, a private firm that compiles the statistics for the Commonwealth. Still, when compared to other tourism regions around the country (many of which have seen double-digit declines), the Pennsylvania Wilds numbers look good.
Many tourism-related events in the region have also held their own this year or have seen an increase in attendance and participation, according to Lumber Heritage Region executive director Mike Wennin, who compiled the results.
Groundhog Day 2009, in Jefferson County, saw 13,500 visitors. Chapman State Park Winterfest in Warren County had 12,800 participants – up 2000 from last year. The Chain Saw Carving Rendezvous in Elk County saw 20,150 visitors and raised $45,900 at its closing-day auction. The Kinzua Outdoor Show saw over 6,000 attendees – an increase of some 1,200. The Cameron County Canoe & Kayak Classic had close to 200 boats in the water – up from 124 last year. In Clinton County, registration had to be closed early for the Hyner Run Challenge when more than 770 people signed up for the grueling race – up 150 from last year.
“People are still out doing things,” said Jason Fink, executive director of the Lycoming County Visitors Bureau and president of the Pennsylvania Wilds Tourism Marketing Corp. Fink said he expected attendance to climb at his county’s main event – the Little League World Series – this August, too. “It’s free to get in,” Fink said. “A family of four can feed themselves for under $20.” That seems to be what many families are looking for this year, he said: quality activities that are fun and affordable.
Despite that money is tight, several small, family-run businesses (horse-draw wagon rides; pontoon boat tours; canoe livery, several rental cabins …) have opened around the region this year, too, underscoring a point made by the Pennsylvania Small Business Development Center earlier this spring: that even during recessions, small businesses create jobs. Other small tourism businesses are planning expansions.
In the western corner of the Pennsylvania Wilds, Piper Lindell is expanding her canoe and kayak outfitting business, Allegheny Outfitters, this year by creating a second river guidebook and also offering additional guided trips, which in turn create more work for local caterers and guides.
Lindell said last April she only had seven boat reservations. This April, she had 207. Reservations have not slowed since then. If the weather cooperates, it could be a banner year, she said.
“I think people are looking for alternatives to the Big Vacation,” Lindell said. “They still want to get away but things are tight, so they’re looking closer to home. And it’s almost like people are trying to get back to a simpler time … I was helping one lady plan a river trip the other day and we started talking about eagles. And she said, ‘Gosh, I haven’t seen an eagle since I was a kid.’ … Just lots of comments like that.”
Lindell said the trend of people getting back to nature with their families is great for her business and others in the Pennsylvania Wilds region. “But I hope in the end it’s good for everyone. If one thing we get out of this economic mess is a better appreciation of the people close to us and the natural world around us – that would be a very positive thing,” she said.
Lindell sends many of her overnight boaters to area campgrounds. One of those facilities, Buckaloons, is part of the Allegheny National Forest. Reservations at Buckaloons continue to climb, said Edward Prince, general manager of Allegheny Site Management Inc., the McKean County-based company that manages the campground.
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 sites in the Allegheny National Forest 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 as a way to get away. He saw it first last summer, when fuel hit $4 a gallon. He said he thought that would have a negative impact on business but in fact the opposite happened.
Prince worried that this year there seems to be some confusion about what recreation sites on the National Forest are open because of recent public discussions about state and federal park closers due to budget issues. All of ANF’s campgrounds and boat launches are open with full services, he said.
Alan Chapel and his partner, Tina West, started Allegheny Cellars Winery, in Warren County, about a year ago, after the manufacturing plant Chapel worked at closed. Despite recent reports of economic doom and gloom, Chapel said his business was up 20 percent over the previous year. He wasn’t sure if that was due to the economy improving or to more people learning about his business. “It’s hard to tell with only one year to compare,” he said.
One thing is clear after talking with customers though, Chapel said: many of them are referred by other customers. “Word-of-mouth has contributed considerably to our business success,” he said.
Chapel said this year he has focused on festivals. The hands-on advertising seems to work well for him, he said. “The people get to talk with us and get to know us so that we are not just some ambiguous brand.”
Tataboline Brant, a former award-winning news reporter in Alaska and a native of Warren County, has traveled extensively around the Pennsylvania Wilds region in her position as PA Wilds Small Business Ombudsman. She can be contacted at tbrant@pawilds.com or by visiting www.pawildsresources.org.
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