Clarion County commissioners made a major investment in tourism at the panel’s meeting Tuesday.
The commissioners unanimously approved a request from the hotel tax committee to purchase $49,000 of advertising to promote the county.
John Straitiff, the head of the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors, made the presentation for the committee. Straitiff proposed spending $40,000 on television advertising in the Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Erie, and Youngstown markets.
Other ads are seasonal in nature.
The commercials haven’t been prepared, and the county will own the commercials and can use them on the county’s website and other venues.
Straitiff also requested $9,000 for paid Facebook advertising. He said analytics showed that 70 percent of the people viewing the page are women ranging in ages from 25 to 64.
“They advertise their beaches here so why not invite them up here,” Tharan said. “The people from Youngstown and Cleveland might come here for a day but if they come from D.C. they would stay longer.”
Straitiff said Pennsylvania Great Outdoors had received 150,000 booklets promoting the area and will distribute them at outdoor shows.
Rack cards have also been printed and will be distributed at rest stops along Interstate 80.
Tharan said the county will continue to support local events such as fairs and festivals through the tax committee.
The hotel tax committee administers the money raised by a tax on rooms. The county charges a three percent tax and could charge as much as five percent.
Tharan said the county has more than $200,000 in the fund.