Hello Indiana County,

Greetings Indiana County! We're pleased to share a few highlights from the start of 2024, as well as a few things we're looking forward to, including a "Save the Date" for our upcoming Ambassador Celebration on June 14!

APRIL & MAY

SEASONAL EVENTS BROCHURE NOW AVAILABLE

Looking for something fun to do? Check out the newest edition of our seasonal events brochure!

Interested in having your event appear in the next edition? Be sure to add your event to our online "Calendar of Events"!

PA ROUTE 422 PARTNERSHIP

The Tourist Bureau is working with Lawrence, Butler and Armstrong Counties to promote road trip adventures along the PA Route 422 corridor. This collaborative effort maximizes advertising and county exposure through cost effective measures.

Pictured Above: Rack Cards distributed by each county tourist bureau and on display throughout Pennsylvania's "Getaway On Display" Program

Interested in showcasing your business or organization during "Indiana County Day - Christmas in July" at Idlewild & SoakZone? Contact our office for details!

ICTB WELCOMES IUP INTERN

Please join us in welcoming our IUP intern, Kirstyn Svitek. Kirstyn, an IUP marketing major, is a sophomore from Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania. Her eagerness to learn more about the tourism industry coupled with her hard work ethic and attention to detail has been a great asset to the office.

CGI COMMUNICATIONS: "Indiana County, PA Community Video Tour" VIDEO PREMIERE

The video tour, produced by CGI Communications and facilitated by the Indiana County Tourist Bureau, includes seven short videos providing an overview of the quality of life in Indiana County. They can be accessed on the following websites: https://www.indianacountypa.gov/, https://indianacountyceo.com/, https://www.visitindianacountypa.org/ and https://www.indianacountychamber.us/.

We encourage you to use and share the videos with those who want to see what Indiana County has to offer. If you would like a link to the videos to share directly with others, contact the tourist bureau office.   

ICTB & THE JIMMY STEWART MUSEUM

JOIN FORCES AT PENNSYLVANIA BUS ASSOCATION'S

MARKETPLACE GROUP LEADER SHOW

ICTB Executive Director, Laura Herrington, and The Jimmy Stewart Museum President, Janie McKirgan, traveled to the Nittany Valley Sports Centre in State College for PBA's Annual Marketplace Group Leader Show March 25 & 26.

The event provided a chance to showcase Indiana County, PA to a captive audience of motorcoach operators & group leaders, while making connections in efforts to attract future group tours to the area.

Exciting announcement: Within a week of the show, a contact made during the show has already reached out to ICTB for booking information!

ECONOMIC IMPACT of TRAVEL and TOURISM in PENNSYLVANIA and INDIANA COUNTY

The most recent Tourism Economics report prepared for the Pennsylvania Office of Tourism shows the total economic impact of travel and tourism in Pennsylvania was $76.7 billion, which supported 486,871 jobs, contributed $4.7 billion in state and local taxes, and welcomed 192.4 million visitors in 2022.

Bringing it closer to home, the total economic impact of travel and tourism in Indiana County was $174.4 million, which supported 2,324 jobs and contributed $15.9 million in state and local taxes. To learn more about the vital importance of the travel industry to the economy in Pennsylvania & Indiana County, read the report below.

Join us in welcoming the following new 2024 Indiana County Tourist Bureau Members:

• Homer-Center Parks & Recreation
• Indiana-Franklin Masonic Lodge #313
• Margy Gray State Farm Insurance
• The Fox Clark Gallery
• Youth in Aviation
• Friends of ICTB (individual memberships): Greta Helsel, Hazel E. Johnston, Elaine Maudie & Louise Peterman

ADVERTISING UPDATE

Indiana County information has been distributed/shared through the following outlets.

BROCHURE RACKS

Racks throughout Indiana County

Select Rest Areas, Turnpike Plazas & Welcome Centers in Pennsylvania

60+ Locations through the Western PA Distribution Program

40+ AAA Locations throughout Ohio Market

John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport

ONLINE/DIGITAL ADVERTISING

Google Adwords (January & February)

Groundhog.org: Homepage ad (Monthly)

GuestQuest.com (March - June)

IndianaGazette.com (April)

Indiana Mall Exterior Digital Sign (Monthly)

IUP Basketball Jumbotron (Basketball Season)

John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport Lobby Monitor (Monthly)

KCAC Exterior Marquee (Monthly)

VisitPA.com: Custom Content Article (12 Month Campaign)

VisitPA.com: Happy Thoughts (Monthly)

VisitPA.com: Native Ad (Monthly)

VisitPA.com: Listing (Monthly)

VisitPittsburgh.com: Featured Listing (Monthly)

VisitPittsburgh.com: Family Fun Ad (Monthly)

WhereandWhen.com (Spring Issue)

PRINT ADVERTISING

Association of Township Officials Program Booklet

Conemaugh Valley Conservancy (Sojourn Handout)

Guest Quest (Spring Issue)

Happy Traveler Guide 2024 (Visit PA's Official Tourism Guide)

Hometown Publications/Punxy: Map Ad, Hometown Mag Ad & Placemat Ad

Indiana County Chamber of Commerce Business Directory (Listing)

Johnstown Magazine (April Issue)

Leader Vindicator Trail Guide (Spring)

Lion's Club District Convention Booklet (Spring)

VisitPittsburgh 2024 Insiders Guide (Pittsburgh's Official Tourism Guide)

Where & When (Spring Issue)

HAPPY THOUGHTS

Each month, the Pennsylvania State Tourism Office announces a list of topics that they will be highlighting in upcoming online articles on www.VisitPA.com in the subsequent month(s). Each month when the list of topics are released to each tourist bureau, we look at our membership base to see if we have any members we think would be appropriate submissions for consideration in these upcoming articles.

We're pleased to share the following articles that recently featured ICTB members:

From Rails to Trails: 21 Paths to Explore in PA

• Featuring: Ghost Town Trail

Uncover the Best Antiquing in Pennsylvania

• Featuring: Route 119 Antique Trading Post, Time Works & Sun-Kissed Country

Best PA Hiking Trails for Spring Wildflowers

• Featuring: Ghost Town Trail

Top 8 Groundhog Day Attractions

• Featuring: The Jimmy Stewart Museum

Attention Nonprofit organizations!

Below is information from our friends at America250PA regarding a membership opportunity!

One-time membership fee of $250.00 (Now–2026). Benefits of America250PA’s Nonprofit Affiliate Membership include:

• Promotion of your organization’s news and events via America250PA’s social media
• Affiliate page listing of your logo, with a link to your website, on America250PA’s website
• Participation in America250PA planning and informational sessions
• Priority consideration as locations for America250PA meetings and events, along with housing current projects (Bells Across PA, Liberty Trees, etc.)
• Statewide networking opportunities
• Discounted tickets to America250PA events
• Email subscription to the America250PA newsletter

Access the application:

 https://america250pa.org/Nonprofit_Affiliates

Congratulations to the Northern Appalachian Folk Festival, Inc. (NAFF) for choosing to become an America250PA nonprofit affiliate. The NAFF, Inc. organizers are already planning how to recognize our country’s 250th Anniversary/Semiquincentennial celebration during their festival in 2026.  

Help us to share the word about all the great happenings in Indiana County. When posting on social media use the following HASHTAGS:

#IAWLinIndianaPA

#visitindianacountypa

#indianacountypa

#thingstodoinindianacountypa