It's 2013 and we have a blank canvas on which to paint our vision.
I know that much of the news and predictions for the coming year have been dismal. The economy continues to struggle along, global issues, state issues, our county's struggles to recruit jobs and hold taxes at bay while continuing services for our most vulnerable citizens, blight elimination, the list goes on and on.
But there's another list, too, one filled with promise, potential and opportunities and I count myself lucky to be one of the many people in our community working to support our positive opportunities.
During this long, cold winter the visitors bureau is doing its share to lay the groundwork for tourism activity in Schuylkill County. Like all nonprofits, the visitors bureau is reeling from the one-two punch of budget cuts and a lagging economy, but don't count to 10 and ring the bell just yet. We will continue to invest in our members and partners in Schuylkill County tourism.
We sincerely hope that 2013 will be a great year for the county and because we believe in our future, the visitors bureau is once again investing in our local community via marketing, promotional activities and collaborative efforts.
In 2012, the visitors bureau spent more than $100,000 on promoting Schuylkill County as a cultural heritage tourism destination. Our efforts, combined with those of many other worthy county attractions, events and organizations, garnered about $200,000 in hotel tax revenue. Let me tell you why this is so important.
Tourism ranks as the second largest industry in Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania is the fourth most visited state in the nation. Tourism is also the second largest industry in Schuylkill County with agriculture ranked first.
The tourism industry generates $10.7 billion in wages and benefits annually, and accounts for almost 8 percent of all individuals employed in Pennsylvania. This is a workforce of 433,000 representing our hotels, amusement parks, restaurants, ski areas, recreation areas, retail, food and beverage, transportation and stadiums. What this really means is direct spending by travelers, i.e. new dollars flowing into our state's economy, equals about $31 billion a year or $3.1 billion a year in state and municipal tax revenues. Tourism is vital in any local economy in Pennsylvania.
Visitor spending in Schuylkill County in 2011 totaled $150.1 million, including lodging, food and beverage, shopping, recreation and transportation sales. This accounted for 1,196 jobs in our county and labor income of $30.2 million. Our state and local tax coffers are then increased by $9.4 million and we contribute $7.6 million in federal taxes as well.
Money and jobs in our county and across Pennsylvania, that's why tourism is important. At the end of the day, each of Pennsylvania's 4.9 million households saves $670 in taxes annually thanks to tax revenue generated by the tourism industry.
The tourism industry does not compete with vital programs, it helps pay for them. Schuylkill County, in particular, is rife with opportunity to grow this vital industry and we are fortunate to be working toward that effort in concert with our community. We believe it is critical to support our community through investment and we're here to serve you.
We continue to invest time, effort and energy into enhancing benefits for our members. We actively service our members by increasing promotional activities and collaborative efforts.
We have very attractive membership rates that include benefits such as our 2013 visitors guide, online presence, direct referrals, networking opportunities, cooperative marketing, public relations via print and radio, an outstanding calendar of events and much more.
In 2012, 111,646 people contacted the visitors bureau for information about Schuylkill County. You can benefit from that $100,000 we invest in marketing and promoting our community and the direct referrals we give our members every day. It pays to be a member. Please join us in our efforts to grow tourism and economic activity in Schuylkill County.
To find out more about the benefits of membership, our mission, our members and local events and attractions, give us a call at 570-622-7700, or email gina@schuylkill.org. Visit our website at www.schuylkill.org to sign up for our free enewsletter and view our calendar of events. Happy New Year from the Schuylkill County Visitors Bureau.
(Gargano is executive director of Schuylkill County Visitors Bureau)