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Tourism report: Groundhog Day drew visitors; county to expand seasonal marketing
Summary
Tourism staff said Groundhog Day weekend drew visitors from across the U.S. (and some international visitors), with lower Saturday attendance due to cold weather and stronger Sunday numbers; the county plans broader seasonal marketing and highlighted a new promotional video.
Mary, a tourism staff member, reported to commissioners that Groundhog Day overall 'went well' and described mixed attendance: lower numbers Saturday attributed to cold weather and much higher attendance on Sunday. She said vendors and entertainment were present and that visitors included people from the U.S. and abroad.
Mary told the board the tourism office is considering seasonal marketing efforts to attract visitors outside the Groundhog Day period, noting that lodging demand 'dies off' after the event and that year-round promotions could help bridge to camping season.
She said VORT Media and Board Media gathered new footage and that a new video produced with WJAC is airing in markets tied to Olympic coverage and regional TV, targeting Pittsburgh and some New York City viewers to drive winter visitation. Mary said she had heard an unconfirmed attendance figure of '30,000' but had not verified it; a commissioner offered '22,000' as an estimate. The transcript records both numbers without an authoritative source.
Commissioners thanked Mary and tourism staff for outreach efforts and the meeting moved on to other agenda items.
