Pennsylvania's 12 Heritage Areas, spanning 57 of the commonwealth's counties, will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the program this summer, offering a wide range of enjoyable activities and adventures through the state's rich history. The businesses, nonprofit organizations, and community leaders committed to preserving Pennsylvania's unique historic and cultural resources encourage tourists with varying interests to visit one or more of the areas. There, they will have the opportunity to experience some of the most important and pivotal actions, which have contributed to the nation's formation and growth.
The Heritage Areas Program is a national model that encompasses almost every major historical site, population center, and tourist attraction that Pennsylvania has to offer. It is a comprehensive, multi-faceted regional strategic initiative to conserve and enhance key resources and promote each region's heritage for tourism development.
From an economic perspective, Pennsylvania consistently ranks near the top of states attracting cultural heritage visitors. In 2014, tourists spent an estimated 7.5 million days and nights in Pennsylvania's Heritage Areas, purchasing more than $2 billion worth of goods and services. Seventy percent of this spending is purely reliant on heritage-related attractions.
The 12 Heritage Areas are managed separately and are as unique as the history, resources, and communities they work to preserve, enhance, and grow. Through partnerships and grass-roots planning efforts of a diverse group of leaders, the historic, cultural, natural, and scenic and recreation resources are preserved and developed to strengthen regional economies with a goal of increasing tourism, creating new jobs and developing investment opportunities.
To find out more about the 12 heritage areas, readers may visit http://www.heritagepa.com.
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