'The Great American Getaway:' Shapiro unveils new state tourism brand at PNC Field

A road-ready Gov. Josh Shapiro took an outfield stage Monday at PNC Field and unveiled a new state tourism brand for Pennsylvania: “The Great American Getaway.”

With an RV that will carry him to 50 stops in 14 counties over the next week parked on the warning track, Shapiro launched the brand aimed at selling the state’s myriad attractions, historic destinations, parks, restaurants and more to residents and prospective tourists alike. It comes as the governor seeks a 60% increase in funding for tourism and business marketing in his proposed budget.

“I wanted to be here today ... because I wanted this to be the place where we launch our new brand, where we rolled out our tourism launch for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to see, because I understand there are some incredible destinations and some great experiences you can have right here in Northeastern Pennsylvania,” Shapiro told the crowd. “I wanted to be here because this region demonstrates the opportunity that we have when it comes to tourism and when it comes to economic development.”

Getaway is the operative word of the “Great American Getaway” brand, with Shapiro touting the state as an ideal excursion for the roughly 72 million people who live within four hours of its borders.

While tourism currently contributes roughly $77 billion to Pennsylvania’s economy annually and supports nearly 500,000 jobs statewide, including about 5,000 in Lackawanna County, the governor said the state can and must do even better as it competes for visitors and the economic value they bring.

“Supporting our tourism industry doesn’t just help the restaurants, amusement parks and shops, it also boosts our entire economy (and) strengthens the lives and livelihoods of our fellow Pennsylvanians,” Shapiro said. “But for too long ... we have lagged behind other states. Some of our top competitors in the tourism space — New York and Michigan and Illinois — they actually all invest more state dollars in tourism than Pennsylvania has historically.”

The $18 million increase in tourism and business marketing funding that Shapiro proposed and lawmakers are considering will “help make sure that those 72 million that live within a four-hour drive know about everything Pennsylvania has to offer,” he said.

Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association President and CEO Joe Massaro described tourism as a “tool for leveraging all Pennsylvania assets for the betterment of its communities,” noting each household in the state would need to pay $880 more in taxes to replace the revenue generated by the tourism industry.

But Massaro agreed that Pennsylvania is falling behind other states in terms of tourism promotion efforts. He cited a study that found more than $15 billion in visitor spending and tax revenue were left on the table due to inadequate state marketing investments.

“The increase in tourism marketing funds championed by the governor ... offer the opportunity to correct course,” Massaro said. “According to the same study, every additional dollar invested in tourism marketing is projected to yield another $65 in visitor spending and $4.47 in increased state and local taxes.”

Lackawanna County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Curt Camoni also praised the proposed tourism funding boost, noting great messaging and branding only goes so far without the investment behind it.

“We are back in the game and can start telling people what an amazing place Pennsylvania is to visit and to live,” Camoni said. “Because let’s not forget, what we call tourism in my industry, my friends at the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce and chambers across the Commonwealth call ... quality of life, not only for our residents but for the businesses and the workforce they’re trying to attract.”

The Great American Getaway branding materials can be found online at the updated visitpa.com, where new weekend road trip itineraries are available for travelers.

Among other efforts, Visit PA is also promoting the new brand through a summer marketing campaign running through August statewide and in regional markets, including New York City, Washington D.C., Cleveland and Toronto.

“Now, during our 250th anniversary and well beyond, we are poised to do great things in Pennsylvania and investing in tourism is going to help us accomplish a great deal of that,” Shapiro said.