Fayette County Cultural Heritage Visitor Attraction Strategy

Fayette County Cultural Heritage Visitor Attraction Strategy

Prepared for the Fayette County Cultural Trust

by Cycle Forward and McCollom Development Strategies June 2016

Fayette County Cultural Heritage Visitor Attraction Strategy

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Fayette County Cultural Heritage Visitor Attraction Strategy

Contents Acknowledgments……………………………………………………………………… P. 1 Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………. P. 2 Project Background……………………………………………………………………. P. 3 Local and Regional Tourism Landscape…………………………….………… P. 5 SWOT Analysis………………………………………………………………………….… P. 18 Audiences………………………………………………………………………..………… P. 19 .

Travel Trends……………………..…………………………………………..…………. P. 28

Arts, Cultural Heritage, and Outdoor Recreation………………………… P. 31 Recommendations………………………………………………………….………….. P. 37 Appendices A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I.

Potential partners Millennial and Baby Boomer market travel trends “Pairings” of well-known attractions and potential complimentary sites Promotional campaign outline Itinerary bank Sample itineraries Notable attractions in neighboring counties Tourism Economics graphics relevant to statewide tourism investment March 17 Heritage and Culture focus group notes

Fayette County Cultural Heritage Visitor Attraction Strategy

Acknowledgments Thank you to the members of the arts, culture, and heritage communities who participated in a focus group that provided initial insights as the consulting team began to develop this visitor attraction strategy. Thank you also to Dr. John McGrath of University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown for providing materials related to The Economic Impact of Pennsylvania Heritage Areas study and to the Fayette County Tourism Alliance, which has embraced this project as a partnership opportunity to expand the cultural heritage visitor audience in Fayette County.

This project was funded by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and completed for the Fayette County Cultural Trust.

Glossary of Acronyms and Abbreviations The GAP refers to the Great Allegheny Passage LHVB refers to the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau NRHC refers to the National Road Heritage Corridor “The Trust” refers Fayette County Cultural Trust “Tourism Alliance” refers to the Fayette County Tourism Alliance

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Executive Summary “People stay longer, spend more money and come back more often to places that attract their affection.” –Urban Design and the Bottom Line, ULI 2009

Four words sum up the emphasis of this strategy: Story Audience Infrastructure Partnerships

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The Fayette County Cultural Trust’s mission is to enrich the area’s quality of life and further economic development by promoting cultural, artistic, historic, and natural assets. Promotion of the area’s assets can spur trips by visitors and local residents alike, hence the desire to proactively develop a visitor attraction strategy.

The recommendations put forth here address visitor readiness just as much as they do visitor attraction. The recommendations are intended to enhance the Fayette County's destination appeal as well as to create stronger, more vibrant communities for its residents. The process and path to successfully implementing this strategy is based on:

The development of partnerships, collaborations, and relationships; Increasing engagement to build more human capacity; and The personal investment that will help conserve the rich cultural, heritage, and natural resources that contribute to the area’s appeal

To accomplish all of this requires time, dedication, and believers who can see the possibilities and can encourage others to see the same. In working together across a broad landscape, communities will be strengthened, resulting in a more attractive and engaging destination for visitors.

This attraction strategy covers the local and regional tourism landscapes, existing and desired audiences, and recommended actions. Chief among the recommendations are to:

1. Identify primary themes (“the stories”) and place a laser focus on them 2. Focus marketing efforts on the primary target audience of “Cultural Explorers” 3. Improve the area’s tourism infrastructure 4. Examine the structure of the Trust and take steps to bolster its capacity

The Fayette County Cultural Trust is in the position to take stock of its capacity and offerings, to place focus on those initiatives that will help advance the mission, and forge partnerships with the tourism community to elevate the offerings of cultural and heritage attractions. This strategy sets out to provide a path forward in doing so.

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Project Background Fayette County is awash with historic, cultural, and natural assets and yet the area’s tourism potential has not been fully met.

The Fayette County Cultural Trust (the Trust) was established in 2006 with a mission to “enrich the area’s quality of life by promoting cultural, artistic, historic, and natural assets and by creating partnerships to revitalize communities and further economic development.” Since that launch, the Trust has successfully engaged dozens of partners and secured significant grants for community revitalization and beautification. Notable successes include the construction of the Connellsville Canteen (a community center and museum), installation of interpretive signage, publication of a quarterly magazine (Connellsville Crossroads) that celebrates the rich industrial heritage of the region, and dozens of other projects related to enhancing the cultural and heritage assets throughout Fayette County. The Trust has played a key and leading role in identifying and marketing many of these assets.

Focusing on the opportunities of cultural and heritage tourism, and with the burgeoning development of Connellsville, the board of directors and staff of the Trust determined that a targeted visitor attraction strategy would help map future work. Recognizing that tourism attraction to Fayette County and the surrounding region is the focus of the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau (LHVB), the Trust felt it was time for a strategy that would support those efforts and integrate emerging opportunities in art, culture, and heritage tourism.

Project funding was secured through the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The Trust then contracted with the experienced team of Cycle Forward and McCollom Development Strategies to develop a visitor attraction strategy. The team was charged with building on the work of the Trust, integrating emerging cultural and heritage assets, and developing a set of recommendations. The ultimate goal is to heighten awareness of Fayette County as a key destination within the Laurel Highlands and to position the Trust and its partners to better receive visitors.

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Why Cultural Heritage Tourism?

“Cultural tourism is based on the mosaic of places, traditions, art forms, celebrations, and experiences that define this nation and its people, reflecting the diversity and character of the United States.”1 Tourism organizations define cultural tourism as a reflection of what the visitor does: tours, performing arts, festivals, museums and historic sites, folklore, and partaking in local and regionally specific food tours.

Formerly thought of more in terms of larger urban cities, cultural heritage tourism is now recognized as compatible with smaller communities, particularly when outdoor recreational opportunities are also available.

Cultural and Heritage visitors average 4.7 days per trip while other visitor types average 3.3 days per trip.

--Travel Industry Association of America

Recognizing the value of combining cultural heritage tourism opportunities with outdoor recreation offerings and building on an existing body of tourism professionals marketing the Laurel Highlands will enable the Trust to pair first day attractions with interesting, but lesser known sites. The county has a rich history from the early days of settlement to the heyday of industrial strength. The recently completed 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) rail-trail continues to bring new audiences to this gateway to the Laurel Highlands while nuggets of history teach and entertain along the journey. Together, culture and heritage attractions and outdoor recreation opportunities position Fayette County for more frequent and more enriching visits.

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Definition by Partners in Tourism. The terms “cultural” and “heritage” tourism have become somewhat interchangeable since this definition was penned in 1990. In this document, the umbrella term used is “Cultural Heritage Tourism.”

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Local, Regional, and Statewide Tourism Landscape

Fayette County, with a population of approximately 136,000, is one of three counties included in the Laurel Highlands.2 It is located approximately 50 miles from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and less than 40 miles from Morgantown, West Virginia. Centered between these two metropolitan areas and connected by rivers, bike trails, interstates, passenger rail (AMTRAK), and scenic roadways, Fayette County is home to some of the most visited destinations in the region.

Historic Context Fayette County was carved from Westmoreland County in 1783 and named for the Marquis de Lafayette, the French hero who aided the American colonists in their fight for freedom from England. Southwestern Pennsylvania and, in large part, Fayette County played a significant role in the development of the United States.

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Located within the County is the National Park Service’s only property entirely dedicated to French and Indian War history.3 The battle at Fort Necessity in the summer of 1754 was the opening action of the war between the British, French, and American Indians.

The war cemented British control of North America and set the stage for the American Revolution. A young George Washington led the British in the battle. In later years he would become the owner of the battlefield property through a land grant.

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Laurel Hill and Chestnut Ridge, part of the Allegheny Mountains, give the area known as the Laurel Highlands its mountainous terrain and scenic vistas. Relevant to tourism, the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau markets the three-county area of Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties.

3 Fort Stanwix National Monument in New York recognizes the site’s role in the French and Indian War (the warring parties fought for control of an ancient path there), but is primarily dedicated to the site’s role in the Revolutionary War.

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In 1794 thousands of farmers in western Pennsylvania took up arms in opposition to the enforcement of a federal law calling for the imposition of an excise tax on distilled spirits. Known as the "Whiskey Rebellion," this insurrection represented the largest organized resistance against federal authority between the American Revolution and the Civil War. The rebellion also serves as the backdrop to the first treason trials in the United States, and helped delineate the parameters of this constitutional crime.

In 1806 President Thomas Jefferson signed an Act directing the construction of the United States’ first federally funded highway, the National Road. Jefferson, with strong influence from his Secretary of the Treasury, Albert Gallatin, moved this important route to the western frontier forward. The National Road was constructed from Cumberland, Maryland to Vandalia, Illinois where construction ceased due to cost and the arrival of the railroad system making travel less of a hardship. The arrival of the road through Fayette County helped further the development of the towns along the route, most significantly Uniontown and Brownsville.

During the American Industrial Revolution dating between 1840 and 1870, Fayette County again grew as it became a center for steamboat building and the Monongahela River became a transportation system for both goods and people as well as a center for coal mining, coking, and steel production. Connellsville and many other towns in Fayette County boomed during the “coal & coke era.” Relics of the industry remain throughout the County including several hundred beehive ovens as well as beautiful mansions, commercial buildings, and arts and cultural centers boasting ornate pediments, dentil work, stained glass, and architecture.

Once known as Falls City, Ohiopyle has long been a visitor destination. After the railroad had reached town in 1871, rail excursion trips brought thousands of tourists to enjoy the Ohiopyle Falls and the Youghiogheny River Gorge. Hotels and amusements were built on Ferncliff Peninsula to accommodate the crowds. The mass appeal of turn-ofthe-century Ohiopyle preceded auto touring and may even represent the first wave of tourism in the Laurel Highlands, now considered one of Pennsylvania’s legacy brands.

Henry Ford introduced the world to the Model T in 1908 and the leisurely activity of auto touring became popular. Fayette County offered an escape from the soot and dust being emitted by steel-making in Pittsburgh and along the Mon River. With fresh air, amazing scenery, and an undulating landscape that was fun to drive, the county became a destination and with it came resorts such as the Summit Inn and Gorley’s Hotel and Lake. Soon after, those who could afford it, were building second homes away from the city – two of the most significant being Frank Lloyd Wright’s notable works, Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob.

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Historic Sites and a Rich History Fayette County has a total of 68 properties or historic districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places, five of which are National Historic Landmarks: Albert Gallatin’s home known as Friendship Hill; Searight Toll House, one of two remaining toll houses built on the National Road in the mid-1800s; the Isaac Meason House; and two Frank Lloyd Wright designed homes – Fallingwater, built for Edgar Kaufman, and the I.N. Hagan house, Kentuck Knob. There are certainly many more properties that could become part of this prestigious record of our country’s history and heritage. These assets along with the amazing natural landscape of rivers, streams, and scenic vistas tell the stories that created the county’s towns and roadways.

Tourism is one of Fayette County’s leading industries. As a significant economic engine it generates jobs, attracts investment, and expands the tax base. In developing an attraction strategy to enhance the county’s tourism industry and increase its economic impact, it is best to start with recognized visitor destinations and enhance those experiences with connections to other authentic stories. For the tourism engine to do its best work, the interpretive stories being told at key destinations need to connect with those of the secondary destinations, thereby creating an even more immersive experience that extends stays and engages visitors.

As an example – here is some of the rich history that formed the City of Connellsville, which can provide experiences for travelers, many of whom arrive via the GAP. Connellsville – connecting to a destination: •

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Founded as a township in 1793, Connellsville was later formed as a borough in 1806 by Zachariah Connell. The Connellsville we know today became the first city in Fayette County in 1911 when it and the borough of New Haven merged.

Prior to the city’s establishment, Braddock Road passed through Connellsville. In 1755, during the French and Indian War, General Braddock and his aid-de-camp George Washington were heading north to remove the French from Fort Duquesne. The British troops were following a trail first cut by Washington, Christopher Gist, and a Lenape named Nemacolin, but it was too narrow. Gen. Braddock widened the path into a 110mile road for his army of siege guns, field pieces, 200 wagons, and 2,200 troops. It was an epic maneuver in a summer plagued by heat and drought. On June 30, 1755, Braddock’s army forded the Youghiogheny River at Stewart’s Crossing.

Later, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, coal mining, coke production, and other accompanying industries became the major sources of employment and revenue due to the city’s location in the center of the Connellsville coalfield. The city became known at the "Coke Capital of the World" due to the amount and quality of coke produced in the city's many beehive ovens.

The robust coal industry required service from five railroads, whose tracks crisscrossed the city. Streetcars connected neighborhoods and other towns. During that period in its

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history, Connellsville was said to have had more millionaires per capita than any other city in the United States.

There are six National Register listed properties in the City of Connellsville: the Colonial National Bank Building built circa 1906; Connellsville US Post Office circa 1913; Connellsville Union Passenger Depot - Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad Passenger depot circa 1913; Connellsville Armory, 1907; the Carnegie Free Library, 1903; and Dr. J.C. McClenathan’s house and office, 1895.

Iconic Sites and Demand Generators Arguably, Fayette County’s most iconic attractions are Fallingwater, Ohiopyle State Park, and the GAP bike trail, all of which draw significantly more visitors than other attractions within the county. 4 The Trust can increase visitation to cultural and heritage sites if it can effectively link them to these “first day” attractions. The iconic nature of Fallingwater, Ohiopyle, and the GAP attracts a combination of first-time and return visitors.

Photo Credit: National Road Heritage Corridor

There are a number of other noteworthy attractions within the county. In conjunction with WQED, the Trust recently produced a promotional film titled “10 Great Places in Fayette County, Pennsylvania.” Fallingwater, Ohiopyle State Park, and the GAP were among the sites, as well as: • • • • • •

Kentuck Knob Friendship Hill National Historic Site Fort Necessity National Battlefield Laurel Caverns Seven Springs Mountain Resort Connellsville Canteen

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ArtWorks Connellsville (now home to the Appalachian Creativity Center)

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Annual estimates: Ohiopyle SP, 1.5 million; Fallingwater, 165,000; and the GAP, 239,770 (mid-range estimate for major Fayette County trailheads, Analysis of 2013 Trail Usage Patterns along the Great Allegheny Passage; the high estimate was 319,693.)

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The film successfully combines well-known and lesser known historic, cultural, and outdoor recreation focused attractions. There are a number of other sites throughout the county that either currently exist as visitor attractions or can be better positioned to welcome and host visitors. Strategies to better prepare points of interest are outlined in the “Recommendations” section of this Visitor Attraction Strategy.

County-Wide Attractions The following table lists some existing county-wide attractions. This is not a comprehensive listing of attractions, but rather is a list of some of the most known sites as observed by the consulting team. The purpose for sharing these sites is to identify top-of-mind visitor destinations in order to better position other attractions to leverage their popularity.

ARTS, CULTURE, & MUSEUMS HISTORIC SITES v Fallingwater v Friendship Hill National Historic Site v Kentuck Knob v Fort Necessity National Battlefield v Touchstone Center for Crafts v Nemacolin Castle v State Theatre v Searight Toll House v The Coal and Coke Heritage Center v Braddock’s Grave v Connellsville Canteen v Wharton & Mt. Vernon iron furnaces v Public art, statues, and public v Mount Washington Tavern spaces

OUTDOOR RECREATION FOOD & SPIRITS v Great Allegheny Passage v Nemacolin Woodlands eateries v Laurel Caverns v Christian W. Klay Winery v Seven Springs Mountain Resort v Stone House Restaurant v Ohiopyle State Park v Ridge Runner Distillery v Youghiogheny River5 v Numerous farms, farm-to-table v Youghiogheny Lake establishments, and shops selling v Nemacolin Woodlands local foods

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Whitewater rafting, flatwater paddling, fishing, wading, etc.

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Quantifying Visitation The following offers annual visitation information on some of the county’s visitor attractions, specifically those located along the Historic National Road. The numbers were attained through the Economic Impact of Pennsylvania Heritage Areas study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown for the Center for Rural Pennsylvania in 2015. The only number adjusted here was that for the Great Allegheny Passage, so as to reflect county-wide visitation rather than that of a single trailhead, as was the case for purposes of the heritage study.

Top Fayette Cultural Heritage Attractions Ohiopyle State Park Fallingwater Great Allegheny Passage major Fayette trailheads Fort Necessity Friendship Hill Christian W. Klay Winery

Estimated Annual Visitation6 1,500,000 165,000 115,000 35,000 34,000 32,000

Another way of viewing first day attractions is through the lens of the county’s most iconic site, Fallingwater. The following map is displayed on its website, giving a glimpse into what nearby sites the marketers of Fallingwater view as of potential interest to its visitors:

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The Economic Impact of Pennsylvania Heritage Areas, University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown for the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, 2015

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Touchstone Center for Crafts, located in southern Fayette County, provides further insight with its attractions listing. Mentioned on the Touchstone website are Fallingwater, Kentuck Knob, Laurel Caverns, Fort Necessity, Summit Inn, Nemacolin Woodlands, Ohiopyle State Park river recreation, and a general reference to the area’s antique shops and wineries.

Hidden Gems (Lesser Known Sites) Other cultural and heritage sites lack the name recognition and visitor volume that are enjoyed by first day attractions, but are capable of contributing to the area’s overall appeal. These are the “hidden gems,” those sites whose administrators often desire both promotional and technical support7 to ready them to meet the needs and expectations of visitor audiences. They stand to benefit the local tourism economy and appeal if their product can be elevated and connected to county-wide themes. Many of these are referenced throughout this strategy and its appendices.

It is worth noting that it is the hidden gems that are often most dear to local residents. While visitors represent a valuable economic return through sales tax revenues, business growth, and jobs, connecting residents to cultural and heritage sites enhances of quality of life and pride of place. Acknowledging both audiences is a valuable tool in motivating and engaging the necessary stakeholders for a county-wide strategy and plan.

2013 Hotel Study A 2013 hotel study commissioned by the Allegheny Trail Alliance provides insight into visitor audiences and potential. The study was completed by PKF Consulting, which recommended a facility similar in size and character to the soon-to-open Cobblestone Hotel). The study noted that 75 percent of the county’s hotel supply was located in Uniontown, Belle Vernon, and Nemacolin Woodlands at the time of the study and noting lack of supply in other areas. Hotel demand peaks between June and August, and year-round, the following sites were noted by the consultant as most relevant in supporting lodging demand: Fallingwater, area ski resorts, Nemacolin Woodlands, the GAP, state parks, and area rivers (for recreation).

Opportunities beyond the County Visitors do not recognize county borders, and therefore visitor attraction can be approached with fluidity when attractions beyond county lines are considered as complementary sites.

These sites may be prime for partnership based on thematic similarities, geographic proximity, and/or based on visitor travel routes (i.e., what complementary sites are en route to Fayette County?). For example, the Trust sees potential in pairing the Connellsville Canteen with the

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Grant writing training and assistance to historic and cultural sites is one known opportunity that would enable more attractions to compete for funds that could help the sites to tie in to county-wide and regional themes, improve and professionalize their product, and preserve heritage.

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Supper Club in Greensburg based on their train station structures.8 Partnership opportunities are outlined in the “Recommendations” section and also in Appendix A. In addition to connecting to standalone sites in neighboring counties, the Trust may be able to increase its exposure by connecting to brands and initiatives of larger scope. Examples include established corridors such as the GAP, the National Road Heritage Corridor, and Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area. An emerging brand to be cognizant of is the Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition. Finally, the Appalachian Regional Commission’s “Bon Appetit Appalachia”9 provides the opportunity to connect to an initiative of enormous geographic scope, Fayette County being positioned in northern Appalachia. Leveraging the three-county Laurel Highlands brand is assumed and addressed in other places in this strategy.

Regional Tourism Promotion

Pennsylvania has 49 designated destination marketing organizations (DMOs, a.k.a. TPAs) throughout the Commonwealth. Some represent a single county while others represent multiple counties as a connected region. Their mission is to serve the traveling public outside the designated DMO area. They buy media, produce marketing materials and visitor guides, and generally promote the unique tourism assets in their respective areas with the goal of attracting visitors, ideally for overnight stays.

Fayette County is part of LHVB’s three-county (Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland) footprint. LHVB was established as a Tourist Promotion Agency (TPA) well over 50 years ago.

The Laurel Highlands has been recognized as a travel destination both within the Commonwealth and in neighboring states for quite some time. Within its boundaries lay significant historic and cultural sites such as Fallingwater, Kentuck Knob, and Fort Necessity National Battlefield as well as resort destinations like Nemacolin Woodlands, Seven Springs, and Hidden Valley.

In the early 2000s, the Commonwealth’s administration discontinued a significant portion of its matching grant program which had historically funded DMO/TPAs’ operations and marketing. A new revenue stream was established with

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With the former being a replica, it should be carefully presented to visitors. Additionally, packages or itineraries can possibly incorporate additional sites (e.g., the former P&LE station on West Crawford Ave. and the still-active AMTRAK stop).

9 Very few southwestern Pennsylvania sites are listed.

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the passing of acts which allowed counties of different classes to enact what was defined as a hotel occupancy or “bed” tax. A piece of legislation in 2002 brought the tax option to the Laurel Highlands. The Counties of Somerset and Westmoreland enacted the 3 percent tax within the first few years; however, Fayette took action in 2008.

The LHVB has increased its staff and its marketing significantly over the years as the income from the tax has grown. The organization promotes the region in several markets within the Commonwealth as well as Ohio, the Baltimore/ D.C. Metro area, Maryland, and northern Virginia. In April of 2016, the state legislature passed Act 18. Considered a tax reform bill, it resolved many issues including: expanding the definition of what is considered taxable; clarifying the appropriate uses of the tax revenue; and most importantly for 57 of the state’s counties including Fayette, it allows for an increase in the tax from 3 to 5 percent. It is estimated that the two percent increase, when instituted by all three counties, will generate an additional $1.5 million in revenue for the LHVB.

The Role of Tourism Related Businesses in Intra-County Marketing

While PA tourism organizations, businesses, and a newly formed public/private partnership work at the state level to elevate statewide marketing and resurrect Pennsylvania’s position as a recognized destination and TPAs continue to market their specific regions to external audiences, there still is a gap, namely in intra-county marketing.

Within any DMO/TPA region, creating awareness of marketing destinations to residents, who can also be tourists in their own backyard and often become tour guides for visiting family and friends, falls to public partners and tourism-related businesses within that region. Specifically in Fayette County, there is a public/private partnership entity – the Fayette County Tourism Alliance led by the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce in partnership LHVB and the National Road Heritage Corridor, a state designated heritage area. This group was reconstituted in 2016.

Its mission is to actively pursue initiatives that will create and enhance the tourism industry in order to support sustainable economic growth. Its work will foster partnerships and alliances at a local level that will create even more benefits to residents and grow the county’s tourism economic engine. One of the several objectives being focused on is intra-county tourism promotion and the acknowledgment that some lesser known sites limited by human capacity and limited funds for marketing investments need to form partnerships to achieve attraction and sustainment goals.

Currently the LHVB is transitioning from a membership organization to one that represents the entire industry across the three-county area as required by the State’s TPA program structure.

Also, for secondary destinations (those that are not the top visitor destinations like Fallingwater or Ohiopyle), unless the property has bought into a designed ad campaign, they will not be specifically called out in campaigns.

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Therefore, successfully marketing destinations with limited budgets requires creatively seeking partners and creating itineraries that offer experiences that emphasize story of place. LHVB in partnership with Fayette County, has a grant program that can provide funds for marketing.

These grants are available annually and one of the key criteria for a successful grant is the creation of partnerships.

All destinations, specifically the smaller ones that struggle to grab visitors’ attention, need to see how they fit together and are part of Fayette County’s economic tourism engine. Meshing both large and small together and connecting stories and destinations creates opportunities for extended stays and return visits. Marketing locally has a two-pronged effect:

1. It connects the locals and their visiting family and friends to the vast cultural, historic, and recreational assets within Fayette County, and 2. It educates residents about these attractions with a goal of creating value and the understanding that these places and assets must be conserved and cared for because they can’t be replaced and losing them would result in lost tourism revenue.

State of Tourism and Tourism Promotion in Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania contracted with Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics Company, to complete a study of the Economic Impact of Travel in Pennsylvania for 2014. The following conclusions were drawn as a result of the analysis of the industry and revenues:10

Spending by Pennsylvania travelers and tourists grew for the fifth straight year in 2014, albeit at the slowest rate of increase (1.2%) in the past decade (excluding the steep drop in 2009 from the Great Recession).

Total traveler spending (presented at times in the report as “travel & tourism industry sales”) grew to $39.7 billion in 2014, up from $39.2 billion in 2013.

• The number of travelers visiting Pennsylvania was essentially unchanged from 2013 with 192.8 million domestic and international visitors traveling to and/or within PA in 2014.

• Overnight visitation showed a modest increase with the number of hotel room nights sold (i.e., demand) up 1.7% compared to 2013.

• Per trip spending increased slightly – a combination of higher prices, especially for lodging, as well as improved consumer confidence and travelers’ willingness to spend more at restaurants, attractions, and retail establishments.

Traveler spending generated an estimated $69.6 billion in total economic activity (including indirect and induced impacts) throughout all industries in Pennsylvania in 2014 – a 1.8% increase from 2013.

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Tourism Economics, The Economic Impact of Travel In Pennsylvania, 2014

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5 Key Results: • Travel and tourism -related economic activity supported 482,524 PA jobs in total • (i.e., includes direct, indirect and induced jobs) in 2014, a slight increase (0.7%) from 2013 and equal to 6.5% of the state’s total employment count.

• After outpacing the state’s average employment growth rate for all non-farm industries over the past several years, the growth rate for travel - related and supported jobs in 2014 matched the state average • The state’s travel and tourism sector was directly responsible for an estimated $16.9 billion of the state’s 2014 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) –a 3.5% increase from 2013.

• Including indirect and induced impacts, PA’s travel and tourism industry generated $4.2 billion in state and local taxes and $4.3 billion in federal taxes in 2014.

• On average, the spending of every 400 travelers to and/or within supports one PA job.

• One out of every 15.3 employees in Pennsylvania is supported by travel and tourism.

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While the 2014 analysis shows growth, the fact is that the tourism industry in Pennsylvania has suffered significantly from the cuts in marketing the state as a visitor destination.

In 2015, Tourism Economics completed a separate study titled "Competitive Analysis of Pennsylvania's Tourism Budget" offering an independent analysis of the level of destination marketing needed to support Pennsylvania's future success as a visitor destination.

The study was commissioned by a coalition of more than 25 Pennsylvania tourism industry stakeholders, including major associations, businesses, and destination marketing organizations. The purpose was to demonstrate the downturn in the Commonwealth’s economy as a result of the significant cut for several years to the state’s tourism marketing budget and what it would take to once again be competitive in the tourism industry. The following information are excerpts from that study:11

• In 2009, Pennsylvania spent $30 million on tourism marketing. By 2015, that annual amount dropped below $7.5 million of which only $2 million was spent on a statewide level. This saved the Commonwealth $22.5 million a year...or did it?

• Over the past six years, cuts in the PA tourism budget have caused the Commonwealth to lose 37.3 million marketable trip visitors, $7.7 billion of visitor spending, $3.2 billion of labor income, and almost $450 million of state taxes, while saving only $124.9 million of tourism budget expenditures.

Effectively, for every dollar saved on the PA tourism Tourism Economics graphic. Others available in Appendix H. budget, the state has lost $3.60 of state tax revenue. EVERY $1.00 CUT IN THE PENNSYLVANIA TOURISM BUDGET, PENNSYLVANIA LOST $3.60 IN STATE TAXES. During this period, the state lost $449 million in state taxes while saving only $125 million—representing a net loss of $324 million in taxes.

• In 2009, Pennsylvania attracted 18.4% of marketable overnight trips within a nine-state region, and 22.9% of marketable day trips. At this time, PA’s tourism budget was competitive, representing 27.4% of the nine-state total.

11

Competitive Analysis of Pennsylvania’s Tourism Budget, Tourism Economics, 2015

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•

By 2014, Pennsylvania had reduced its tourism office budget to just 6.2% of the nine-state total, and the Commonwealth’s share of marketable leisure visits had declined substantially.

The tourism industry in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania continues to work toward a public/private partnership with the Administration and the Department of Community and Economic Development. At the same time, the industry continues to strongly encourage the Legislature to recognize that tourism is one of the top leading industries in the State and continues to contribute significantly to the economy, therefore the Commonwealth needs to “up its game” in marketing the Pennsylvania as a destination both nationally and internationally. In the meantime, the responsibility to market Pennsylvania as a destination falls to the designated DMOs as the state continues to lose ground in comparison to the large sums of money being spent by other states.

Photo Credit: National Road Heritage Corridor

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Fayette County SWOT Analysis Relevant to Visitor Attraction “We take stock of a city like we take stock of man. The clothes or appearance are externals by which we judge.” –Mark Twain STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES • Part of a multi-county legacy brand • Other than iconic sites, not a “top of mind” travel location • Internationally known attractions: • Limited cellular and wireless coverage Fallingwater & the GAP • Extensive outdoor recreational • Front line staff awareness and amenities: state parks, hiking trails customer service practices waterfalls, fishing • Limited tourism infrastructure • Scenery and natural landscape • Few clear “hooks” for overnight stays • Rich heritage and many historic sites (v. day trips), particularly for nearby markets • Interstate access connecting two • County-wide directional signage major metropolitan areas

• GAP and AMTRAK connect metro areas • Recent increase in local restaurants OPPORTUNITIES THREATS • High visitation #s to Ohiopyle, the • Competing brand messages within GAP, and Fallingwater the Laurel Highlands / Fayette Co. • Tourism Alliance reconvened to • Competitive markets12 and/or connect and represent larger tourism markets with greater brand community recognition • Possible hotel tax increase • State tourism budget decreases in recent years • Enhanced culture of hospitality • Perception of Fayette as a distressed • Cultivating visitor “experiences” area • Developing tourism infrastructure and • Seasonal nature of tourism and knowledge vulnerability to severe weather • Capitalizing on existing events and events attractions to extend visitor stays • Front-line staff (issues related to • Completion of Sheepskin Trail to turnover, knowledge of area, expand cycling options and open up professionalism) new markets

12 Includes markets competitive to the Laurel Highlands - for example, Pocono Mountains, Pittsburgh, Gettysburg, Cumberland, State College, Lehigh Valley, and Deep Creek

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Audiences “Travel is very subjective. What one person loves, another loathes.” –Robin Leach In marketing places, it can be tempting to be all things to all audiences, hence the “something for everyone” mantra. Developing an understanding of how Fayette County’s cultural heritage attractions may appeal to niche audiences may prove to be a far more effective strategy.

Defining audiences includes understanding generational tendencies as well as the characterization of traveler types. Exploring the psychographic profiles of generations and travel types will inform visitor attraction efforts as well as the design of future marketing collateral and itineraries. The following offers a look at these important aspects of a visitor and their expectations.

Populations Trends and their effects on Tourism Marketing There has been a significant demographic shift in the United States. Once the largest population, Baby Boomers have have ceded their standing as the largest population segment to the Millennials.

There are varying reports on the exact figures.

According to a recent (2015) Pew Research study, Millennials have surpassed Baby Boomers as the nation’s largest living generation, according to population estimates released this month by the U.S. Census Bureau. Millennials, whom we define as those ages 18-34 in 2015, now number 75.4 million, surpassing the 74.9 million Baby Boomers (ages 51-69). Generation X (ages 35-50 in 2015) is projected to pass the Boomers in population by 2028.

The Millennial generation continues to grow as young immigrants expand its ranks. Boomers –

whose generation was defined by the boom in U.S. births following World War II – are older and their numbers shrinking as the number of deaths among them exceeds the number of older immigrants arriving in the country.

Understanding the attitudes and habits of both Baby Boomers and Millennials can be beneficial for many segments of the U.S. This is certainly true when determining tourism marketing and creating destinations and experiences. While Millennials are not a primary audience in Fayette County, it is useful to understand the demographic (they will ultimately become the primary audience). See Appendix B for detailed information on both Baby Boomers and Millennials.

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Target Audiences by “Traveler Type” “What kind of traveler are you?” The answer to this question is less about how a traveler arrives at a destination and more about the experience they seek.

Using a model developed by Destination Canada,13 the consulting team queried past and potential Fayette visitors to better understand the travel types among those with an appreciation for the area. While the Destination Canada research is specific to traveler types desired in Canada, Americans are their top source of international travelers. Therefore, the consulting team was comfortable in consulting this framework in considering target audiences.

The quiz responses uncovered two types of travelers that are likely to visit Fayette County: “Authentic Experiencers” (31 percent of respondents) and “Cultural Explorers” (25 percent of respondents). Of the nine traveler types, these two are known to be the most similar in terms of travel interests and values. Moreover, these types are consistent with Fayette’s cultural heritage traveler audience (see page 21 for more on Fayette County heritage travelers).

Of 32 contacts who shared their survey results via email and social media, the following types were heard from:

Traveler Types Caution: Small sample size

Authentic Experiencer Cultural Explorer Free Spirit Rejuvenator Personal History Explorer Virtual Traveler No Hassle Traveler Cultural History Buff 0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

13

Destination Canada’s Explorer Quotient (EQ) model and quiz are the result of extensive visitor

audience research and thousands of surveys completed. The model distinguishes nine traveler types: Authentic Experiencers, Cultural Explorers, Cultural History Buffs, Free Spirits, Gentle Explorers, No Hassle Travelers, Personal History Explorers, Rejuvenators, and Virtual Travelers.

The EQ® model is a proprietary tool of Destination Canada and is referenced in this study simply as a means of better understand Fayette’s cultural heritage visitors.

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Respondents included primarily women from western Pennsylvania (perhaps reinforcing the importance of local and regional marketing). As stated, the top types reported were the “Authentic Experiencers” and “Cultural Explorers.” The Trust’s focus on attracting cultural heritage travelers is consistent with two of these types.

Authentic Experiencers are typically understated travelers looking for authentic, tangible engagement with the destinations they seek, with a particular interest in understanding the history of the places they visit.

Cultural Explorers are defined by their love of constant travel and continuous opportunities to embrace, discover, and immerse themselves in the culture, people, and settings of the places they visit.14

Fayette County Heritage Travelers The National Road Heritage Corridor (NRHC) was one of several state heritage areas included in a 2014-15 study on the impact of heritage areas. The study, The Economic Impact of Pennsylvania Heritage Areas, enabled NRHC to survey over a thousand heritage travelers and gain insights into audiences visiting some of the county’s most visited sites. Survey locations included Fallingwater, Ohiopyle, Friendship Hill National Historic Site, Fort Necessity National Battlefield, and Nemacolin Castle.15 While the study focused on sites along the National Road corridor rather than all of Fayette County, it does provide insights into visitors (those willing to be surveyed) to area heritage attractions. With a total of 1,036 survey respondents intercepted primarily at heritage sites, it is reasonable to assume that they offer a fair representation of a heritage traveler audience in Fayette County.

14 15

Destination Canada Surveys were also available at a number of other locations, where smaller quantities were completed.

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Heritage Study Visitor Demographics

Gender of Survey Respondent

Women

Men

Education Level Master's Degree or Higher Bachelor's Degree Some College / Trade School High School Graduate 0

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

Age Range 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ 0

50

100

150

200

250

300

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Household Income >$100,000 $75,001-$100K $50,001-$75K $25,001-$50K <$25,000 0

50

100

150

200

250

300

After assessing this heritage traveler audience, the consulting team endeavored to compare the audience to other known visitor audiences, including: • • •

Laurel Highlands General Visitors, per 2014 and 2015 visitor surveys Great Allegheny Passage Trail Users, per 2007 and 2011 user surveys Destination Canada “Authentic Experiencer” and “Cultural Explorer” profiles

This comparison is shown on the next page, and analysis follows.

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Comparison of Visitor Audiences Audience

National Road Heritage Visitor

Gender

Age

58% women

Largest group 55-64, followed by 45-54 Laurel Highlands Not Largest General Visitor known group 30-49 (52%), followed by 50-64 (37%) Great Allegheny 65% men Largest group Passage Trail User 45-54, followed by 55-64 “Authentic 54% men 53% are 55+ Experiencers” “Cultural 57% Largest group Explorers” women (43%) 35-54

Education

Income

64% Bachelor’s Largest group degree or higher $100K+; 49% (31% Master’s or $75,000 or more higher)

Trip-Related Spending $320.76 per overnight party (motel); avg. party size 3.54

68% report an 50% $75,000 or education level more of Associate’s degree or higher

70 percent report spending $100400 per day, on average

Not known

Over 1/3 of overnight users HHI of $100K+ (2007-08)

Overnight visitors spend $124/night, on average

Higher than average Higher than average

Average

Unavailable

Average

Unavailable

Ideal Heritage Visitor to Fayette County For purposes of attracting cultural heritage travelers to Fayette County, it is the consulting team’s opinion that the ideal target visitor closely mirrors the “Authentic Experiencer” and “Cultural Explorer” travel types. Both types are similar to the visitors intercepted during the 2014 PA Heritage surveys. As a whole, this visitor audience is: • • •

Likely to be ages 45-64 Well-educated Average to high-income

The “Cultural Explorer” type trends more female than male (like the heritage study survey respondents), and the opposite is true of “Authentic Experiencers.” In any case, one must not paint a gender-specific picture of the ideal traveler, as no known Fayette visitor audience is predominantly male or female.

These are audiences that are more likely than other travelers to be interested in nature and the outdoors, sightseeing, exhibits, architecture, historic sites, hands-on learning, festivals and 24 | F a y e t t e C o u n t y C u l t u r a l H e r i t a g e V i s i t o r A t t r a c t i o n S t r a t e g y

events, food experiences, and the performing arts.16 Refer back to page 4 to observe the marked similarity to the 1990 definition of cultural tourism.

Additionally, the GAP visitor audience is a significant one for Fayette County, particularly along the trail corridor. While outdoor recreation seekers are not by definition cultural heritage travelers, there is often an overlap in interests. The GAP audience (like “Authentic Experiencers”) trends more male than female, particularly those taking overnight trips. This includes a number of cyclists with competitive personalities and may be difficult to entice from trail to town. The recommendations and itineraries will take into account focusing on casual cyclists (both men and women) who fit the “Authentic Experiencer” and “Cultural Explorer” types and may be interested in off-trail experiences.

Finally, the primary audience is neither one of Millennial nor senior citizen, although these audiences are generally significant and will make up a portion of Fayette County cultural heritage travelers. Members of any age group cannot be fully defined by their generation’s characteristics, and therefore members of these groups do and will seek heritage opportunities in the county. The intent of establishing a primary target audience is to empower the Trust and its partners to focus their limited resources where the most significant current opportunities exist.

16

Destination Canada

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Regional Visitor Profile and Economic Impact Data While a target audience specific to cultural heritage visitor attraction has been identified, it may be useful to understand general Laurel Highlands visitor audiences, available through LHVB. Their Laurel Highlands Visitor Profile & Economic Impact Data infographic on the next page pulls data from 2014 and 2015 visitor surveys as well as from a 2015 economic impact study conducted by Tourism Economics. Among the key findings are:

•

Top states of visitor origin include: 1. Pennsylvania 2. Ohio 3. Maryland / Washington, D.C. 4. New York 5. Virginia

• • •

76 percent report their average length of stay per leisure visit as 1-5 nights 70 percent report spending $100-400 per day, on average

• • • • •

Top five most sought after experiences: 1. Family fun 2. Outdoor leisure 3. Outdoor adventure 4. Festival or special event 5. History and heritage 72 percent indicate their marital status as married 71 percent report traveling with their spouse or household family 50 percent report average household income at $75,000 or more 68 percent report an education level of associate’s degree or higher Top factors considered for travel to the Laurel Highlands: 1. Short proximity from home (53%) 2. Value of experience (48%) 3. Uniqueness of experience (43%) 4. Overall expense (34%)

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Laurel Highlands Visitor Profile & Economic Data Sheet

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Travel Trends “The trail is the thing. Not the end of the trail. Travel too fast and you will miss all you are traveling for.” –Louis L”Armour Twenty-first Century travelers have come to appreciate and even to expect immersive travel (“The trail is the thing. Not the end of the trail.”). They have also developed other expectations around travel and trip planning. This section details some of these.

Experiential Travel Also referred to as immersive travel, experiential travel fulfills the visitor’s yearning to experience a place more completely than to view it from a window or standing in front of an interpretive sign. The expectation from the traveler is to more deeply understand a place by connecting to its culture, eating local foods in local hang-outs, visiting local shops, and staying in boutique lodgings or residential units (which has impacted the Photo Credit: National Road Heritage Corridor growth of companies like Vacation Rentals by Owner and AirBnB, a company whose value proposition is that a traveler can “live like a local”). According to Americans for the Arts, the desire for authentic immersive experiences is the most important trend in cultural tourism. Americans for the Arts specify that immersive experiences must be reflected in the entire community, calls for hospitality training and frequent outreach to community members, and requires that everyone must get on the “visitors are great” bandwagon.

Relevant to Fayette, participants at a March 2016 Culture and Heritage Focus Group discussion (all members of the tourism community), noted the following sites as already being immersive at varying levels: Wright houses, whitewater rafting and river experiences, Stewart’s Crossing event, Laurel Caverns, Touchstone Center for Craft, Friendship Hill’s FestiFall event, beehive coke ovens, the Tangled Up in Brew event, and Christian W. Klay harvesting and wine-making events. See Appendix I for focus group notes.

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Use of Technology to Inform Decisions / Importance of Review Sites With the exponential rise in internet and social media use, it is now understood that decisions, research, and communication is overwhelmingly undertaken online. Research has shown that over 80 percent of travel decisions are made with at least some online exploration. Monitoring activity on review sites such as TripAdvisor, Travelocity, and Zomato is particularly important.

The largest travel site with over 200 million viewers is TripAdvisor, probably best known for user reviews, of which millions now check prior to traveling to a particular destination, staying in a hotel, or dining at a restaurant. It is essential that TripAdvisor and the other travel sites are checked regularly for reviews and correct information about sites and services in Fayette County. Reviews should be addressed and responded to, whether negative or positive.

Fallingwater is the most reviewed attraction in Fayette County. The reviews are overwhelmingly positive, although both positive and negative reviews provide insights into visitor expectations and experiences.

In addition to consulting review sites and tourism-focused websites (those operated by area attractions and DMOs), consumers’ travel decisions are informed by the visual. Americans for the Arts names the “use of technology to inform decisions” as the second most important trend in cultural tourism and specifies the importance of visual platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest, and Snapchat. Fayette County cannot compete in destination marketing without compelling imagery on social media platforms. Facebook and Instagram may suffice in the current marketplace.

Use of Social Media while in the Experience (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

The immediacy and the “word of mouth” effects of social media must be understood and appreciated by all those that wish to attract visitors to any destination. Social media spreads opinions, recommendations, tips, directions, photos, and comments about everything, and destinations are no different. One survey showed that 92 percent of consumers trusted recommendations from friends and family (word of mouth) more all other forms of advertising.

Word of mouth can be very valuable if positive and very detrimental if negative. Obviously no one can ensure 100 percent positive comments, but keen awareness that all interactions with visitors can be instantly shared with hundreds and perhaps thousands of others, should be repeatedly stated in all hospitality training. Current statistics state that over 50 percent of people changed travel plans after conducting social media research.

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Importance of Food and Drink Food and drink have always been an important aspect of the tourism experience but have recently gained even greater importance through the increasing popularity of culinary tourism. Culinary tourists want to experience local cuisine and locally grown and produced foods, particularly in association with a regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heritage and culture. Often viewed in conjunction with the expectations of a greater immersive experience, the desire for local foods intersects with the increasing value placed on both sustainability and healthy food choices.

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Arts, Cultural Heritage, and Outdoor Recreation “The relationship between tourism and cultural heritage must be intimate and infinite…” – Hugh Riley, Caribbean Tourism Organization, 2015 Sustainable Tourism Conference The cultural and heritage traveler is a particularly attractive niche. They spend more and stay longer than other types; they spend, on average, $1,319 per trip compared to $820 spent by other types of leisure travelers.17 And 76 percent of all U.S. leisure travelers engage in cultural activities.

The Fayette County Cultural Trust was created to protect the region’s cultural, artistic, and historic resources and by doing so enrich the lives of its residents. Attracting tourism to cultural destinations, historic sites, and artistic endeavors benefits the economy and assists in the revitalization of a distressed area. Once an industrial stronghold and part of the region that “built the world,” Fayette County, like the rest of southwestern Pennsylvania, must now refocus on new economies.

In a setting as spectacular as the Laurel Highlands, outdoor recreation will always be an important component of the tourism economy. The area offers a multitude of natural resources: clear streams for fishing, boating, and paddling; mountains for skiing and climbing; trails for hiking and biking; and wooded lands for wildlife viewing, hunting, and camping. Cultural assets provide another avenue for visitors and broaden a tourism strategy. The key role the region held in the industrial revolution offers a unique story to tell through heritage sites and cultural assets. The arts provide a distinct flavor when imparted with honesty, offering a unique sense of place and a glimpse into a region’s history. Incorporating arts and culture into the tourism product helps create a distinct image and identity.

Americans for the Arts defines a cultural district as “a well-recognized, labeled, mixed-use area of a settlement in which a high concentration of cultural facilities serves as the anchor of attractions. Facilities may include performance spaces, museums, galleries, artist studios, arts 17 Cultural and Heritage Traveler Study, Mandala Research, LLC, 2013 31 | F a y e t t e C o u n t y C u l t u r a l H e r i t a g e V i s i t o r A t t r a c t i o n S t r a t e g y

related retail shops, music or media production studios, arts education venues, and /or green spaces.” But to attract visitors, there must be a critical mass of activities to experience which is why cultural districts have more often than not been most successful in larger urban centers.

Some small towns and rural communities, however, have engaged in community-building and visitor attraction through the arts.

Rural Challenges Fayette County is classified as rural and faces some of the inherent challenges common in rural areas. Beyond addressing the capacity issue inherent in a region of fewer people, there is also the challenge of fewer visitor-ready cultural and historic sites that are thematically connected.

Other challenges rural communities tend to face, and Fayette is no exception, include the following: • • • • •

Outmigration Declining work force Aging Population Fewer college educated Poverty

When residents face these basic challenges, it can be difficult to transition to an economy based on tourism. Despite these challenges, there are many smaller communities throughout the country that have successfully positioned culture and heritage as key components in a tourism strategy. This section provides examples of some known rural and small town arts initiatives. Photos credited to the communities and entities referenced.

Case Study: Paducah, Kentucky Population: 24, 978

Awarded a Kentucky Cultural District Certification in 2012, Paducah is now a well-recognized artist community and a popular tourism destination. With a population of just under 25,000, 20 blocks of the city’s downtown are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Offering these historic buildings as live/work spaces, the city launched an artist relocation program in 2000. They developed events and opened over a dozen galleries and shops. A School of Art and Design opened in 2013 following the opening of a nationally known Quilt Museum and the distinctive Lower Town Arts District.

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Branded for its cultural assets, Paducah is one of only seven cities designated by UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network as a “City of Craft and Folk Arts.”

The city’s success has been attributed to strong internal marketing to engage residents, community leaders, media and stakeholders in a collective vision. Strong and focused management continues to expand the effort.

Case Study: Corning, New York Population: 11,108

This small community attracts over 500,000 each year to its Corning Gaffer District, showcasing the heritage of glassblowing. Three major attractions (the Corning Headquarters, Corning Museum of Glass, and Rockwell Museum of Western Art) are supplemented with 75 annual events.

Local designers have created window displays highlighting the heritage of glass, and in recent years 15 new business openings have been attributed to the increase in visitation. Corning was acknowledged in Travel and Leisure Magazine as one of America’s most beautiful town squares and by Rand McNally in 2013 as the “Most Fun Small Town in America.” Community leaders attribute success to proactive management, focused business attraction, and brand engagement by businesses and residents.

Case Study: Johnstown, Pennsylvania Population: 20,184

The National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States defines heritage tourism as “travelling to experience the places and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past." Heritage travelers are attracted to authentic communities that can articulate a “sense of place.” These communities recognize and understand they have a story to tell based on the importance of their past and they actively invited visitors (in the words used

by The Johnstown Discovery Network) to “discover the stories that changed America forever.”

The Johnstown Discovery Network is a series of linked attractions and historic structures all

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within a mile of downtown Johnstown. This system was expressly developed to allow visitors to experience America's proud industrial past. Johnstown played a pivotal role in building the U.S. as a hub of the steel industry.

The Johnstown Area Heritage Association which manages the Discovery Network was created for the purpose of preserving these historic landmarks, educating the public on their place in history, and attracting visitors to revitalize the community. The Discovery Center, the Johnstown Flood Museum, and the Wagner Ritter House are all located in Johnstown’s Cultural District. The facilities demonstrate to visitors the lives of early immigrants, the glory of the Steel Age, and how the people of Johnstown recovered from a great tragedy - a tragedy that did, indeed, change America forever.

In the minds of some, Johnstown (perhaps in some ways like Connellsville) is perceived as a “down and out” industrial city, known for the Johnstown Flood tragedy rather than for its accomplishments. However, both communities can offer a unique perspective on history and both have structures, both old and new that reflect and interpret that past. Key to successful story-telling is the ability to pull the listener in, to feel the experience, and visualize the past. The managers of the historic and cultural amenities in Johnstown have embraced that challenge and are working to continually improve their tourism products.

Another initiative in Johnstown is the Kernville Arts District’s Johnstown Artist Relocation Program. The program is one offering financial incentives for artists to move into low cost Victorian houses providing them the opportunity for live and work space. Recently the Johnstown Public Arts Alliance was created to initiate a public arts program, focused on permanent and temporary placement of sculptures in the Kernville Arts District neighborhood.

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Case Study: Ludington, Michigan Population: 8,045 A community just north of Grand Rapids, Ludington had until recently been known as an outdoor recreational spot attracting over a million visitors each year. A focused strategy to expand visitorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; length of stay as well as to attract cold weather visitors, has led to the development of multiple cultural venues. An historic building became the Sandcastles Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Museum. A sculpture trail was developed along Lake Michigan. A church became the Center for the Arts. A local restaurant began serving signature Michigan microbrews and local baked goods. The community then launched a Cultural Development Planning Process to define specific strategies for cultural growth. Elected officials, tourism experts, civic leaders, real estate brokers, cultural and heritage institute managers and artists, artisans, business owners, and residents came together to discuss what themes to showcase and how to link these cultural activities to other attractions in the county.

Case Study: Berkeley Springs, West Virginia Population: 613 Branded as the Countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s First Spa, the first thing you notice when entering this small town is its charm. A valley setting surrounded by the beautiful West Virginia mountains certainly helps, but it is the distinctive sense of place that sets this community apart. It is obviously historic with charming shops and beautiful green spaces, walkable and welcoming, but the community has also made a concerted effort to offer elegance and world class dining combined with year-round festivals, music, and theatre with art 35 | F a y e t t e C o u n t y C u l t u r a l H e r i t a g e V i s i t o r A t t r a c t i o n S t r a t e g y

visibly a part of the streetscape, hanging from lampposts, on sidewalks, in alleys, and on buildings. A walk down the street attests to the obvious devotion to art which is highlighted with over 125 working artists in multiple galleries and studios. (Studio tours are offered in May and October each year). Even if you never read a single brochure, you would know you were in an artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; mecca.

Case Study: Berea, Kentucky

Population: 13,561 Home to Berea College, the first interracial, coeducational liberal arts college in the country, Berea has become not only one of the fastest growing communities in Kentucky, but also a well-known center of Kentucky arts, crafts, and traditions. The town has a focused and forthright branding strategy and unequivocally states its commitment to diversity, social justice, conservation and sustainability. The Kentucky Artisan Center is a key attraction, but throughout the community, visitors will find weavers, instrument makers, furniture artisans, jewelry makers, glass blowers, metallurgists, sculptors, and artists and artisans of all kinds. This town and its leadership have embraced a heritage of unique Appalachian traditions, arts, and crafts and have interwoven it with their history of equity and equality. A quick review of Berea online reveals they have an authentic brand to which they have committed and live up to.

Case Study: Oil City, Pennsylvania Population: 10,557 The aptly named Oil City boomed in the 1850s with the discovery of oil and the subsequent advance of the petroleum industry. Victorian architecture and the heritage oil sites are remnants of this communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s well-known past, but community leaders have also focused on the serene and beautiful natural setting as well as art and artisans. Large, underutilized buildings in central downtown offer the perfect large footprints and tall ceilings needed for many artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; work. The National Transit Headquarters building now houses 30 artist studios and galleries. Filmmakers and musicians have launched festivals and ARTs Oil City coordinates a plethora of arts-related events year round. Low cost housing, available large space in a spectacular natural setting and proximity to major markets serve to attract artists, musicians and craftsmen. These creative people offer a significant contribution to revitalizing a community and serve as a model of advocacy and engagement.

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Recommendations “Among cities and towns with no particular recreational appeal, those that preserve their past continue to enjoy tourism. Those that haven’t receive almost no tourism at all. Tourists simply won’t go to a city or town that has lost its soul.”

--Arthur Frommer 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Identify primary themes (“story”) and place a laser focus on them Focus marketing efforts on the primary target audience: “Cultural Explorers” Improve the area’s tourism infrastructure Bolster organizational capacity with communications staff and strategic partnerships Expand existing festivals to two-day events Focus promotional campaigns on visitor-ready corridors Create itineraries that curate visitor experiences and inform partners on visitor-ready attractions 8. Develop an immersive experience demonstration project at the Connellsville Canteen taking advantage of a heritage site that is within the Trust’s control 9. Use Local Foods, Local Places plan in support of visitor attraction efforts 10. Employ “Tactical Urbanism” techniques partnering with Downtown Connellsville and others in select Fayette County communities 11. Connect with attractions beyond the county

1. Identify primary themes (“stories”) and place a laser focus on them The Trust should work with its partners to identify primary, shared themes that resonate throughout Fayette County. Establishing these themes is an essential process that should consider multiple perspectives. The consulting team believes that two of the strongest themes are the county’s coal and coke history, as well as the area’s legacy as an escape from the city.

Ironically, one relates to the other. The area’s natural resources enabled industrialists to ship coke to Pittsburgh, and then the same magnates (and many others) sought an escape from the “smoky city” to the clean air of the Laurel Highlands. While these themes may seem fitting, it is important that the Trust engages the Fayette County cultural heritage community to collaboratively determine themes. Funds should be sought to hire a consultant that specializes in theme development and interpretation.18 In the realm of story and theme development, it is important not to manufacture history, and instead to empower docents and other storytellers to propagate the primary themes with

18

Firms with which the consulting team is familiar include The 106 Group, The Acorn Group, and TBWA (specifically Ben Muldrow).

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accuracy. A story of a place must be true to place and the information vetted with an authority on the subject (e.g. the National Park Service). The existing Laurel Highlands Ambassador Program could be enhanced to go beyond its educational speaker series and to offer more detailed training modules specific to the themes that are ultimately selected. The program should deploy participants to attractions so that they can impart knowledge and continue to build their knowledge base and their ability to receive and engage visitors.

Messaging from a visitor’s initial planning through arrival and experience must reinforce primary themes and meet or exceed visitor expectations. Area attractions must “under-promise and over-deliver” to ensure rich experiences, positive word of mouth, and the possibility of return visits. A good example of this approach and the need to be consistent in brand messaging is Berea, Kentucky. VisitBerea.com leads the effort but broader research reveals a vast majority of all references to Berea follow the brand developed and nurtured for their visitor attraction efforts.

Work toward the “low hanging fruit.” For example, Connellsville’s coal and coke history is a known story that can be connected throughout Fayette County. It is a story that can provide authentic experiences via the following story elements: •

Mining, railroads, and coke production

•

Opulent homes and churches – the result of wealth grown through the industry

•

Rich ethnic diversity of the workforce

•

Cultural traditions, ethnic foods, and a variety of religious affiliations

Early Implementation Opportunity: Public Art Upon determining primary theme(s), use public art to help convey the story of place.

Much of the county’s public art already does this; the gateway arch on the GAP in Connellsville is a great example. Any new art should be carefully considered through the lens of theme and locations that are enjoyable and accessible to residents and visitors alike. The Trail Town Program’s “Art on the Passage” self-guided tour and rack card provides a starting point for interpreting public art. Fayette County, with the addition of new works, will eventually be positioned to build upon this and offer richer, more interactive experiences, perhaps drawing upon trained docents and ambassadors at single sites or moving tour groups from site to site.

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How the “Same Old” Theme can be Reshaped into a “Compelling, Dynamic Story” Connecting back to the ready-made “coal and coke” theme, the following offers an example of how a long-known story of place can injected with new energy and conveyed in a compelling manner. This is not to suggest that Trust will pursue this specific story (again, primary themes are to be decided upon through a deliberate process), but merely offers an example of what more can be done with a theme.

Penn State’s Coal and Coke Heritage Center on the Eberly Campus just outside Connellsville features artifacts and items from the region’s coal and coke heyday. Home to a high grade bituminous coal, the Connellsville seam was essential to the coal and coke industry and thus to the southwestern PA. The Heritage Center collection is available to the public Monday through Friday, 10 am to 3 pm. The Heritage Center has undertaken an oral history project to collect community stories associated with the coal and coke heritage of the region. This project as well as the Heritage Center collections offer an opportunity to develop an authentic coal and coke theme. Through the Tourism Alliance, there is now the opportunity to ensure that those marketing the region be aware of this project and review the oral histories. Perhaps the final products could be shown at the Connellsville Canteen and the cultural heritage tourism organizations be among the guest list. Discussion of integrating the oral histories into tourism products could follow.

The Trust might consider partnering with Penn State for the further dissemination of the oral histories once completed or perhaps offer additional assistance in the development of more as the process as noted below is valuable. While coal and coke-related stories are used as an example here, oral histories will enliven any theme that is determined will best tell the story of the area. The Oral History Association (OHA), established in 1966, engages in fostering examples in best practices for the gathering of oral histories. Its website offers excellent resources and suggestions for collecting and archiving oral histories.19 A local resource for the same is the Heinz History Center, which has been collecting oral histories for some time on various topics.

Whatever theme is decided upon, events that include people that have lived and breathed the story, as well as their children and spouses, allows for real life story-telling, story collection, and community-building. Hosting such events and encouraging attendees to bring photos and

19 OHA defines oral history in this way: Oral history refers both to a method of recording and preserving oral testimony and to the product of that process. It begins with an audio or video recording of a first person account made by an interviewer with an interviewee (also referred to as narrator), both of whom have the conscious intention of creating a permanent record to contribute to an understanding of the past. A verbal document, the oral history, results from this process and is preserved and made available in different forms to other users, researchers, and the public. A critical approach to the oral testimony and interpretations are necessary in the use of oral history.

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artifacts to foster conversation and networking is an early step in bringing a theme to life and preparing to share it with a wider audience with the purpose of expressing “what makes this place.” Such events can serve an even more important purpose, that of engaging a younger generation of area residents. The events would be enhanced by serving some of the foods that would have been consumed by those who lived (or are still living) the story. As an example relevant to the coal and coke story, a miner’s lunch pail may have included “gobs” and pepperoni rolls, both of which were created to serve a need in feeding miners.

Weave the primary themes through attractions of every sort, when possible, but also embrace present day culture, the hidden gems, the edible, and even the “quirky.” While we have stressed the importance of heritage in inviting others to discover a sense of place and the area’s “reason for being,” cultural heritage marketing must also embrace present day culture, the hidden gems, and even the quirkiest of sites and traditions. At times, these can be tied back to the primary themes. Other times, there is no strong connection, but the site or tradition brings value and lasting memories to a visitor experience nonetheless. Some examples: Site or Tradition Pascal’s Seated Torso

Bucket “Quirky” / Hidden Gem

Kentuck Knob Sculpture Garden

Hidden Gem

St. Rita Parish Festival

Present Day Culture / the “edible”

Paul Bunyan “Muffler Man” in Uniontown

Quirky

Connection to Potential Themes Ties back to area’s industrial history; “Quirky” factor is the piece having been owned by Donald Trump; hidden gem in that a $3 million sculpture was returned to its place of origin. Fascinating story when also considering Pascal’s year in residence in Fayette and the famous persons who have owned her sculptures crafted from Dunbar glass.

Added to the site by the current owners, the mix of modern art and historic relics (Berlin wall, London phone booths, etc.) don’t easily fit into primary themes, but make for one of the strongest arts and culture attractions locally.

The three-day festival is in its 88th year and represents an ongoing event that preserves ethnic heritage. Can tie-back to primary themes related to how immigrant populations put down roots during the industrial era.

This roadside attraction may not easily fit within the primary themes, but it’s a great photo op and memorable landmark.

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These and other lesser known sites are highlighted in Appendix C which pairs iconic and first day attractions with other sites. These “pairings” are based on either geographic proximity or thematic similarities. The pairings are intended to help generate ideas during future marketing efforts.

2. Focus marketing efforts on the primary target audiences: “Cultural Explorers” and “Authentic Experiencers” The 80/20 Rule, also known as the Pareto Principle, asserts that 80 percent of the effects come from 20 percent of the causes. In business terms: 80 percent of sales come from 20 percent of clients or visitors. The consulting team believes that the majority of visitor spending is by “Cultural Explorer” and Authentic Experiencer” types.20 This is an audience that is welleducated, has average to above average income, and tends to fall in the 45-64 age bracket.21 This includes members of Generation X and younger Baby Boomers. More important than age in targeting marketing message is an understanding travel patterns and values. Destination Canada’s research found that common travel values among “Cultural Explorers” include: • • • • •

A preference for unstructured travel (don’t want to be constrained to tourist schedules) Historical travel and learning about the places they visit (this is defining value for Authentic Experiencers – in fact, the only travel value listed for this group) Cultural immersion Nature travel / experiencing natural beauty Shared experiences (including via social media)

It is impossible to appeal to all demographics and particularly with limited marketing dollars. It is the consultants’ recommendation that the Trust focus marketing efforts on this particular demographic based on perceived interests22. This is not to suggest that the Trust ignore other demographics and how they make travel and purchase decisions. While the recommendation is to focus on this primary audience, it would behoove the Trust to be cognizant of other audiences. The “Audiences” section of this strategy should help the Trust in becoming generally familiar with other demographics.

3. Improve the area’s tourism infrastructure An important early step in increasing visitation is preparing communities and small businesses to receive visitors. Both the human and physical infrastructure must meet or exceed visitor

20

Refer back to the “Audience” section of this attraction strategy document.

Cultural Explorers in particular are similar in demographic to the heritage travelers who took the 2014 PA Heritage surveys at Fayette County heritage sites such as Fallingwater, Fort Necessity, and Friendship Hill. Among the 1,036 survey respondents, approximately 46 percent were between the ages 45 and 64.

22 Destination Canada, which developed the Explorer Quotient and the associated traveler profiles, provides a good model for focusing on target audiences. They invest marketing dollars in just three of eight travel types (Cultural Explorers, Authentic Experiencers, and Free Spirits, making up a combined 34 percent of the Canadian Market).

21

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expectations in order to satisfy travelers and safeguard the area from negative reviews. The following recommendations all relate to the infrastructure that will improve the tourism “product” and ultimately help to ensure positive visitor experiences. Many of these are beyond the Trust’s mission and control, but are topics that can be collectively addressed through the Fayette County Tourism Alliance. A potential opportunity for the Trust to have influence in this important aspect of tourism infrastructure is to chair a Tourism Alliance Committee. A suggestion has already been made that the Trust chair a history and heritage committee, enabling the Trust to influence direction and ensure inclusion of the county’s significant heritage and cultural stories.

•

•

Encourage hours of operation that best meet visitor needs – Limited hours or hours that are inconsistent with visitor needs can be damaging to the visitor experience. The Trust, working through the Tourism Alliance, may be able to encourage extended hours at cultural and heritage sites. One tactic taken at the community level is to select one day a week in which the majority of retail businesses (and attractions) extend their hours. Perhaps such an approach can be taken county-wide with cultural and heritage sites. Another opportunity is to work with specific sites that have the most limiting hours (the train room in the Canteen is one; the Coal and Coke Heritage Center is another) to expand their hours of operation.

Advocate for improved signage - Signage has continually been noted in research, surveys, and other feedback as essential to positive visitor experience and exploration.

The Fayette County Cultural Trust should take this issue to the Tourism Alliance as a study recommendation. There has been a changing horizon with tourism-oriented signage and a comprehensive county-wide review of the gaps is likely in order. The Trust could take the lead in pulling together a committee that conducts an inventory of existing signs and offers recommendations for upgrading and supplementing signs.

Another short term recommendation is to examine the potential use of the existing Connellsville Chamber of Commerce billboard on SR 119 South to better market Connellsville via a “call to action” message. Adding announcements of upcoming festivals would be a good use of this space as well. The Trust and its partners should also examine other spaces visible from the roadways that may be used for community messaging. There is a tower structure at the intersection of SR 119 and Crawford Avenue in Connellsville that could be effectively used as a gateway element.

The consulting team also recognizes the need for signage that draws Great Allegheny Passage users into downtown Connellsville. A partnership with New Haven Trailside Treats – an attractive storefront with plenty of window space – could provide a unique opportunity to attract trail users’ attention. Another possibility is making use of the window facing the bike trail at Mile Marker Café.

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Other Early Implementation Ideas: o “We Ship” signs in storefronts o Work with the Cobblestone Hotel to develop a partnership with the Connellsville tourism businesses and create robust and inviting messaging about what there is to see and do in town. o Develop a “Historic Connellsville” brochure (Scottdale’s is a creative example) that can be placed in hotel rooms and in the B&Bs in town.

• Address cellular / wireless availability and managing visitor expectations All generations of visitors have come to rely heavily on being connected to the world beyond their location and to researching and planning on the go. The reality of connectivity in the Laurel Highlands is that is can be spotty, or slow; therefore, the expectation that connectivity is always possible and always fast has to be managed before the visitor’s arrival in marketing and messaging, reservation confirmations, etc.

The messaging can include where access can be found (hot spots, local coffee shops or libraries or businesses with WiFi). Fallingwater does a nice job of managing visitor expectations on its Preparing for your Visit to Fallingwater webpage, although it does not specifically mention cellular. Any “before you visit” expectation messaging should include information regarding limited access in some areas for cell and wireless. This should be presented not as a warning but rather “as you escape to the beautiful and peaceful Laurel Highlands to relax and unwind; you will be able to completely and effortlessly disengage from the stress of your normal day, unwind, and rejuvenate.”

In addition to managing expectations, the Trust and its partners can support the efforts of the Tourism Alliance and others who are advocating for improved coverage. It is also important that tourism providers’ websites are mobile responsive and that any mobile apps are designed for both iPhone and Android platforms.

• Address gaps in business services Identify gaps in services and work to address them.

This provides a good opportunity to engage cultural and heritage attraction partners in a dialogue around needed services. Some business gaps that are evident to the consulting team include:

• • • •

Higher-end dining / destination restaurants Local foods Craft beers Wine and cheeses

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Following is a potential course of action (using Connellsville as an example) in recruiting a restaurant. The Connellsville Redevelopment Authority could lead this effort. a. Update the existing list of available properties in Connellsville and select the ones that would best fit a fine dining establishment. Because of Michael’s expertise, he could do a rough sketch of how the kitchen and the dining/bar area could be set in the space including how many tabletops could be located in the facility. Parking potential is also important. This would help realtors and developers visualize the opportunity. b. Invite realtors and brokers to a meeting to discuss the property list and the goal to attract a restaurateur. The meeting could include an open house at that point or a future date. The open house of the space(s) should include a display or rendering of the potential layout. c. Food in any meeting is an attraction. In this case the offering of a few high end appetizers with a glass of wine can be an extra incentive.

• Encourage improvements in quality of products and customer service How small businesses serve and interact with visitors is generally beyond the Trust’s (or any outside entity’s) control. The Trust and its partners can, however, choose to educate the tourism community (including small business) on both cultural heritage traveler needs and interests and best practices in customer service. The Trust can specifically encourage LHVB and the Tourism Alliance, the organizations best positioned to lead these efforts, to launch a program. LHVB has done hospitality trainings in the past, and the Tourism Alliance is pursuing the possibility of bringing the Disney training program to Fayette County in 2017.

•

Enhance community gateways – A visitor’s first impression of a place – either good or bad – is defined by that gateway moment as they enter the town. If it’s bad, scary, or conveys that this is a place that not even the residents care about, it could make them decide to drive past it instead of exploring it. Real estate agents determine beforehand the route they will take to drive their clients to properties in order to make the best impression. The same attention should be given to the entrance to a community or venue. o Using Connellsville as an example, local stakeholders should drive (and bike, via the GAP) into town from all the access points noting what they see, how it makes them feel, etc. They should also then provide access data to someone they know who has not been to Connellsville very often to gain their take on the same. o Armed with the information, decisions should be made on how visitors will be guided into town via website and collateral directions as well as signage and design (public art, banners, lighting, gardens, etc.)

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•

o This can and should be a community project – again building capacity and ownership. Building consensus and engaging everyone is key to developing stewardship and the value of looking like the community is loved and cared for by its residents. o In addition to these other steps, now is the time for the City, The Trust, and Connellsville Redevelopment Authority to engage the District 12 office in conversations around aesthetic improvement opportunities to the Crawford Avenue Bridge.23 The bridge is listed on Penn DOT’s 2017 TIP Summary.

Foster a general culture (vibe, hospitality, “look and feel”) that inspires pride in place

It shows when residents love their community, and visitors are attracted to it. Thus efforts aimed at improving sense of place and quality of life help to build the scaffolding that is needed to draw and keep visitors. Sending the message of “pride in place” must permeate throughout the community. So begin with gateways but pull the same energy and practices into town. Look at empty buildings. How can they be improved with window displays or even just cleaning the windows and adding curtains on the upper floors of vacant or underutilized buildings to offer a lived-in, cared-for look? How can gardens, planters, hanging plants, and parklets be improved, brightened, added, and adopted by businesses?

How can the Trust offer a “Paint your Business” event? How can facades be brightened up by highlighting architectural elements? If multiple building owners agree, contracting with a painting company should be much less expensive. If owners balk at paying, will they allow the Trust to raise the funds? Consider developing a modified façade restoration program of just paint, key lighting or flowering pots. Finally, how can new works of public art be added throughout the city (and elsewhere in the county)? Public art is one of the most visible and most engaging indicators of vibrancy and community engagement. As something that is important to the Trust, adding more public art to local communities is a viable short-term option to inspire pride in place and to also help tell a story about place (per Recommendation #1).

4. Examine the structure of the Trust and take steps to bolster its capacity The staff and board of the Fayette County Cultural Trust have injected incredible energy, first into Connellsville, and then throughout the county. Their work has had a measurable impact in the areas of preservation, placemaking, culture, and heritage. An attendee of a recent community workshop noted this injection of energy, stating that the leadership (transplants to the area) “came here and saw what we couldn’t see.”

To build upon this progress and to successfully engage in marketing specific to culture and heritage, the Trust should hire staff or consultants who specialize in marketing places. This staff

23

The aesthetic improvements made to the bridge on SR 119 when that bridge was scheduled for maintenance were made only after community advocates engaged the district staff.

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could lead the communications and interpretation efforts of the Trust, allowing the leadership the time to focus on the broader mission. This staff member should be charged with developing organizational brand standards and striving for brand consistency across all Trust marketing and communications (website, printed materials, social media) and incorporating the Laurel Highlands brand. As little as a part-time position dedicated to this would enable the Trust to engage in niche visitor attraction while not losing focus on the organization’s primary mission.

Pursue Strategic Partnerships Successfully attracting heritage travelers will require the Trust’s pursuit of strategic partnerships. Organizations such as LHVB and the Tourism Alliance have been charged with marketing the area and convening tourism partners. These are two of the many potential partners that can assist the Trust in its goal of increasing visitation. (Please see Appendix A for a list of potential partners and how they might complement the work of the Trust.)

Concerning LHVB, in any visitor attraction strategy, it is essential to include and engage the destination marketing organization (DMO) and local and regional hospitality businesses. LHVB possesses important market research, information on consumer trends, marketing tools, and experienced staff to supplement tourism outreach. Leveraging these resources and seeking collaboration from the onset, is highly recommended.

Businesses and services familiar with and focused on the tourism market such as hoteliers and major attractions, have a wealth of information on visitor needs and activities. Tapping this experience is also wise and will help focus limited resources in the most effective manner, particularly when determining product investment or targeted media purchases.

Another valuable reason to involve businesses appealing to visitors, such as retail shops, restaurants, entertainment venues, and museums, is to facilitate a broader discussion and education of visitor needs such as evening and weekend hours, hospitable and consistent welcome from staff, and greater understanding of visitor desired activities.

In addition to established entities, the Trust can turn to other local resources (perhaps a Downtown Connellsville Marketing Committee, the Trust’s own Board of Directors, or other local advisors). The Trust might choose to add capacity to its Board of Directors by adding an Advisory Board. Having a robust board can both leverage the great work already being done and provide a sounding board in making marketing and other decisions. These resources can provide tremendous support and insights to the Trust’s eventual communications team.

Focus on a few Projects that offer greatest Return on Investment The Trust’s website appears to be a physical expression of the many projects that it has taken on over the past decade. It would be impossible to succeed in visitor attraction efforts while continuing to carry the present project load. The Trust, working through its leadership, should determine what projects it can afford to sunset or be transitioned to another organization, with 46 | F a y e t t e C o u n t y C u l t u r a l H e r i t a g e V i s i t o r A t t r a c t i o n S t r a t e g y

the goals of achieving focus, elevating existing initiatives, and scaling operations to effectiveness.

5. Expand existing festivals to two day events Food has always played an important role in a visitor experience, adding or subtracting to that experience. According to those who study tourism trends, it is more important than ever and if worthy should be marketed on equal footing with key attractions. In general tourists are more cultured, better traveled, interested in new experiences, and drawn to local culture. This translates into the opportunity to deliver food that helps achieve those goals and elevates a destination. The following is an example of how foods can enhance and extend a visitor stay.

Geranium and Mum festival • Add a dinner the evening before the festival o Consider a menu that includes edible flowers in each course. Partner with local restaurants, the Republic Food Enterprise, Westmoreland Community College’s culinary school. (WCCC has a branch in Uniontown now.) o Encourage the Connellsville Chamber of Commerce to reconfigure the Savor the Avenue long table event so that all participants are sharing in the same menu, thus adding to the shared experience. Check out examples such as Outstanding in the Field and Big Table. o Gather local ingredients and hold a cooking class followed by consuming what was prepared. The class can learn to cook one part of the menu. Limit number of participants making it exclusive. o A progressive dinner with each course (appetizers, entree, desert) at a different location accessible by walking. This moves visitors around town. Try to use buildings and locations with intriguing history or along the river. End with dessert at an inside or outside in a setting with great ambience and music. Make sure locals are part of the event (perhaps telling some of the story during the dinner) and that they can represent the community and its stories – enhancing the whole experience.

• Stewart’s Crossing o Encampment the day before with demonstrations o Include an authentic period food experience either as a sit down meal or stations (Fort Necessity used to offer this as part of their encampments and may still be doing so.) Brian Reedy or Mary Ellen Schneider (NPS staff at Fort Necessity) would be good resources as well as a good source for appropriate foods and potential vendors. o The day before or after the reenactment of the Crossing, consider some kind of boat building contest for kids. Find a place to create a pool of water for them to float their creations. Look for potential partners for materials – Target, Lowes, Home Depot, Wal-Mart. Check out this site for designs. o Consider a Fire on the Water event, examples taken from Providence Rhode Island (www.waterfire.org).

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6. Focus promotional campaigns on visitor-ready corridors As consultants who are familiar with Fayette County, we believe that a promotional campaign focused on heritage travelers may be premature given the many tourism infrastructure challenges yet to be resolved.

That said, it is possible to pursue a campaign that focuses on sites or corridors that are visitor-ready. The Great Allegheny Passage provides a good example as a site that is campaign-ready (and attracts one of the largest visitor audiences in the county). Examples of such a campaign could include one focused on Connellsville (imagine "Connellsville - more than a pedal thru!") or one that includes all of Fayette’s 50 trail miles (Ohiopyle, Connellsville, Adelaide, Dawson, Perryopolis).

A 12-14 month outline on carrying out a promotional campaign is included as an appendix to this attraction strategy (Appendix D).

7. Create itineraries that curate visitor experiences and inform partners on visitor-ready attractions While infrastructure shortcomings present certain challenges to successfully launching a promotional campaign, themed itineraries can help to guide visitors through a “curated” experience in the near-term. The itineraries can be designed to promote those attractions, communities, and corridors that are ready to be showcased and can host out-of-town visitors.

The itineraries should build from the area’s strengths and incorporate those sites that are visitor-ready. An “itinerary bank” is included as an appendix to this strategy (Appendix E). Over a dozen ideas for future itineraries are included to assist with idea generation. Additionally, two completed itineraries have been provided in Appendix F. The “On the Rocks” itinerary cleverly weaves a number of sites that are built on or from stone as well as the opportunity to have a cocktail “on the rocks.” The “Journey is the Thing” emphasizes the spectacular views that can be enjoyed in any season in the Laurel Highlands.

In addition to these themed itineraries, we anticipate developing the Tagalong Tour of Connellsville. While a walking tour limited to Connellsville, the narrative will incorporate themes that stretch beyond city lines.

The combined content of the itineraries and the Tagalong Tour is only as good as how they are distributed. It is important that the Trust, listed attractions, and tourism partners such as LHVB help to market these. LHVB has expressed interest in reviewing any itineraries, as it may be able to market them to tour groups. The consulting team is exploring whether or not the “On the 48 | F a y e t t e C o u n t y C u l t u r a l H e r i t a g e V i s i t o r A t t r a c t i o n S t r a t e g y

Rocks” itinerary can be converted into a package sold by Cobblestone Hotel and hotel developers have expressed serious interest in such collaborative marketing.

Finally, strong itineraries hold a secondary purpose of informing tourism partners of the area’s strong points and how they can be connected to offer memorable experiences. Develop a few strong itineraries and you are on your way to changing perceptions at the local level.

8. Develop an immersive experience demonstration project at the Connellsville Canteen taking advantage of a heritage site that is within the Trust’s control

Due to the city’s location in the center of the Connellsville coalfield, coal mining, coke production, and other accompanying industries became the major sources of employment and revenue during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The city became known at the "Coke Capital of the World" due to the amount and quality of coke produced in the city's many beehive ovens. The robust coal industry required service from five railroads, whose tracks crisscrossed the city and streetcars connected neighborhoods and other towns.

The period of history that made Connellsville quickly among one of the richest cities in the country, was followed by a slower period of decline which included WWI and WWII. Here’s where the stories in the two rooms of the Connellsville Canteen connect.

During World War II, America needed coal for power and heat, and it needed the coke to make steel that built bridges, skyscrapers, ships, planes, and weapons– the tools that the men and women whose pictures you see in the Canteen needed to do their job and keep America safe.

Of course there can be passive story boards in the room that talk about any or all of this but it is the personal story-telling from an engaging and animated person that sells the story and inspires inquisitive people to go in search of more.

•

• • •

•

Partner with some local train experts – Bill Metzger, Paul Weigman and the people who run the train museum in Brownsville or Meyersdale. They all have great information and artifacts that could become part of a temporary display.

Create and tell the stories that consider the average age of the visitor to the train room.

Find train operators that can tell the story in an engaging manner and are willing to reinvent how their product is presented.

Working with partners in Dunbar, develop a single rack card that can take people from the Canteen to Dunbar to see the rebuilt coke oven and go for a hike on the Sheepskin Trail to see an original coke oven. This can also be a one day “stay and see” itinerary for GAP thru riders.

There are many model train collectors who would be a natural audience for this story and collection. In the future and in partnership with Cobblestone Hotel, host an annual event of model train collectors– with the potential of attendees arriving via Amtrak.

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Along with developing an immersive visitor experience at the canteen comes training staff and volunteers to represent the site with warmth and professionality (not to suggest that this does not already happen). With such training, the canteen can effectively demonstrate the best of customer service and ambassadorship. As referenced in the first recommendation, the existing Laurel Highlands Ambassador Program could be expanded, with the Canteen providing the ideal location to deploy volunteers for visitor interaction and provide a best practice example for other attractions. Ambassadors at this site and others could wear “Ask Me” buttons, receive free entry at canteen exhibits, and so forth.

9. Use Local Foods, Local Places plan in support of visitor attraction efforts While specific to Connellsville, the Action Plan for Local Foods, Local Places Initiatives provides a road map for improving tourism infrastructure as well as quality of life. Among the plan’s goals: 1. Increase the number of vendors and customers at farmers’ markets in downtown Connellsville.

2. Increase local food offerings in downtown restaurants, bed and breakfasts (B&Bs), and at the new hotel.

3. Integrate local value added foods into economic development strategy24.

4. Make local, healthy foods more accessible to lower-income populations and seniors.

5. Promote healthy lifestyles and continue strengthening walking, biking infrastructure, and opportunities for exercise in daily activities.

Each of these goals will help to position Connellsville as a visitor-worthy destination with offerings (such as farmers’ markets, local foods, and signs into town) that match visitor expectations.

Early Implementation Ideas: Recognizing that the Trust is best-positioned to affect change through its own properties, implement any best practices outlined in the Local Foods, Local Places plan in developing a menu for the Connellsville Canteen. The Trust’s plan to feature a menu with fresh, healthy and (when possible) local foods indicates that the eatery will be a positive addition to the community.

In addition to the goals outlined in the Local Foods, Local Places plan, the Trust and its partners should work to recruit a destination restaurant that will position Connellsville to receive visitors from Fallingwater, Ohiopyle, the Great Allegheny Passage and other attractions.

Best Practice: Share any local foods successes with partners throughout Fayette County so that they may be able to replicate and improve county-wide food and agricultural offerings.

24

Action items include experience-based tourism, value-added foods, and festivals.

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10. Employ “Tactical Urbanism” techniques partnering with Downtown Connellsville and others in select Fayette communities The Project for Public Spaces encourages communities to take on projects that are “Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper” – the kind of projects in which citizens can roll up their sleeves and achieve tangible results quickly and affordably. Another term for this is “tactical urbanism” with the tag “Short-term change for long-term results.”

Short term projects, which could add whimsy and luster to an existing event or festival, might include musical street performances using buskers or dance students from nearby schools (perhaps even consider a “flash mob” dance at some point during the festival. Other pop up opportunities can be longer term, such as temporary artist and artisan spaces, a Paint the Town, when businesses or volunteers set aside a day for a town festival to paint facades, telephone poles, benches, public structures, murals on blank walls. Paint is relatively inexpensive and offers a big bang, immediately improving neglected structures and brightening a town. Other ideas include adding whimsical objects such as brightly painted yellow ducks sculptures walking in a park, chairs lined up outside a commercial space or in a parklet for public use. Pop Ups can be explored as retail and commercial space. Generally launched during key seasons such as Christmas and Halloween (holiday décor and costumes) or summer (outfitters), pop up retail can fit into an existing underutilized structure at a lower rent to “test the market”. In other cases, temporary structures can be built and examples include railroad box cars, shipping grates, cardboard and aluminum structures.

Pinterest is a great place to start for ideas. Projects that may work well in Fayette County and enhance the area’s appeal should include longer term projects that utilize existing but empty buildings. Using the model of Radiant Hall in Pittsburgh, the Trust could look at a downtown building ground level space for use by artists and artisans. The space would need minimal build out beyond electricity and water. Tenant restrictions would lower the potential liability. For example no welding torches or foundry use. Model leases and policies and procedures, as well as “lessons learned” could be accessed through Radiant Hall or other similar types of initiatives underway in communities.

51 | F a y e t t e C o u n t y C u l t u r a l H e r i t a g e V i s i t o r A t t r a c t i o n S t r a t e g y

Connect with attractions beyond the county Visitors do not recognize county borders and visitor attraction can be approached with more fluidity if attractions near county lines are considered as complementary sites. The neighboring counties of Greene, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland, PA, as well as Monongalia County, WV, offer a number of attractions that can: • • •

Reinforce primary themes / story Fulfill visitor needs where there may otherwise be a gap in service (e.g., Duncan House and Treetops Restaurant) Engage visitors traveling to Fayette County (e.g., Mt. Pleasant and Scottdale)

Appendix G includes some notable attractions in neighboring counties that may help to draw and accommodate visitors to the region. The table includes thematic and other connections back to Fayette sites.

52 | F a y e t t e C o u n t y C u l t u r a l H e r i t a g e V i s i t o r A t t r a c t i o n S t r a t e g y

General Observations In addition to the recommendations relevant to positioning the Trust and its partners in their work to attract cultural heritage travelers, we would like to share some general observations. These are not among our key recommendations, but rather represent information that may add value to the organization and should be shared. In no particular order: •

•

•

•

•

• •

The county has a rich heritage and a plethora of historic sites. The opportunity in front of the Trust is to work with attractions to thread some of the strongest stories through from site to site.

Connellsville is uniquely positioned (through interstate and rail access, as well as the forthcoming Cobblestone Hotel) to serve some of the county’s key visitor audiences (those visiting Fallingwater, the GAP, and Ohiopyle State Park25).

There is opportunity for the local tourism community to better understand GAP audiences. Consult the Trail Town Program’s economic impact studies to better understand GAP trail user audiences and audiences specific to Fayette County and its trail access areas. Are they locals? Are they thru-trekkers? Are they day-trippers? This level of understanding will inform any eventual marketing directed at trail users.

Cobblestone is one of few hotels located directly along the Cumberland to Pittsburgh trail corridor. Other communities that can offer traditional hotel lodging to groups are Cumberland, Homestead, and Pittsburgh. Cumberland is 90 miles from Connellsville, Homestead 51 miles, and Pittsburgh 59 miles.

Attraction websites, including the Trust’s, would benefit from an objective, independent review. The Trust’s site, while comprehensive, may be overwhelming to visitors given the level of content and the pages don’t tend to be visitor-focused (e.g., festival pages, Connellsville Canteen page).

The escape a hundred years ago was from pollution and industry. Now it’s from our own hectic lifestyles.

Communications whether online or in print should be clear and concise. Follow the: who, what, where, when and how format with an enticing headline. Less is more.

25

Ohiopyle experiences traffic and parking congestion during peak seasons, and is a longer drive from Pittsburgh.

Connellsville could, therefore, position itself as a launching off point for day trips to Ohiopyle.

53 | F a y e t t e C o u n t y C u l t u r a l H e r i t a g e V i s i t o r A t t r a c t i o n S t r a t e g y

rp te In Allegheny Trail Alliance

To ur

re

tiv

Potential Partners

e ism Edu ca P tio Ge ro n m ne Pr o ra tio og l P n ra Ad ro m m vo m ot in ca io g cy n Hi ( lo st ca or l/r ic eg Pr Re io e se se na rv ar l) at ch io an Se n d/ rv or ice In P fo ro rm vid at er io n Re po sit or y

Appendix A

X

Cultural attractions

X

X

Fayette County Historical Society

X

X

Fayette County Tourism Alliance

X

X

X

X

Heinz History Center Heritage areas (National Road, Rivers of Steel)

X X

X

X

Historic and heritage attractions

X

X

X

X

X

Historic Fayette

X

X X

X X

X

X

Historical Society of Western PA

X

Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau

X

X

Local businesses Local government National Park Service (Fort Necessity, Friendship Hill) Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation

X X X

X

X

X

X

Preservation Pennsylvania River Town Program Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh

X

X X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Appendix B

Baby Boomers are defined as people born during the demographic post -World War II baby boom approximately between the years 1946 and 1964. This includes people who are between 52 and 70 years old in 2016.

A recent survey by AARP identified the following top 2016 Boomer travel trends. Almost all will travel for leisure with about half traveling domestically only.

• Practically all Baby Boomers (99%) anticipate traveling for leisure in 2016, with approximately 4 or 5 trips in the works.

• Many are planning both domestic and international trips (45%), with 5% planning international travel exclusively.

• The desire to travel (aka vacation) comes down to three primary motivators:

1) Spend time with family and friends

2) Relax and rejuvenate

3) Get away from normal everyday life • Although many trips are anticipated for 2016, approximately one in ten (12%) were completely booked by September 2015, leaving opportunity to provide resources and guidance, specifically to the 48% for whom it is “still just an idea."

Millennials were born between 1982 and sometime in the early 2000’s. Some have defined the Millennial Generation as starting as early as 1978. A very influential demographic, recent research has revealed that Millennials are changing the rules of brand marketing, redefining purchase habits, and revolutionizing the shopping experience as a whole. This along with changing ideologies in technology, privacy, and social media interaction, has all forced retailers to reevaluate how they interact with and attract with consumers.

Millennials: • are getting married later or not at all • are postponing home ownership • own fewer cars and drive less • are concentrating in major metro areas or cool towns • favor walkable neighborhoods • are adept with technology and social media • baby boomers use Facebook - millennials do not • are more tolerant • use social media to make buying decisions

A November 17, 2014 blog on Virtuoso.com titled “5 Trends to Know Today About the Millennial Traveler” by BETSY GOLDBERG relates the following:

Millennial Traveler Trend #1: Their Clout Millennials are influential. According to gamification company Badgeville, Millennials make up 27 percent of the U.S. population and 25 percent of the labor force. Skift says by 2020, they’ll be nearly half the workforce. By 2030, they’re predicted to outspend baby boomers. And they’re taking that spending power and putting it behind one of their passions: travel.

Millennial Traveler Trend #2: Their Love of Travel Millennials view travel as a birthright. They’re more inclined to spend money on it than possessions. They see value in travel, particularly international journeys. And they spread their excitement about travel to other generations, including their parents.

Millennial Traveler Trend #3: Their Preferences Millennials march to a different drummer than older generations. They believe passionately in work-life balance and take all the vacation time they can. Millennial travelers aren’t doing the typical sun-and-sand vacations or visiting popular, well-known cities. Instead, they’re adventurous, looking for more remote destinations. Millennials are children of the computer era, so they expect everything to be available anywhere, anytime. They’re all about convenience and personalization. They make fast decisions and expect fast service. Many Millennials research and book trips online, often using their smartphones.

Millennial Travel Trend #4: Their Spending Millennials are willing to spend money on travel, and the amount they’re spending is increasing.

Millennial travelers spent 20% more on trips than the previous year, according to MMGY Global’s survey, 2014 Portrait of American Travelers. This was higher than the 12% growth of all U.S. households. Today Millennial travelers spend less than older people on leisure trips: PhoCusWright says older travelers spend an average of $3,381, while millennials spend $3,217.

But they’re not in their peak earning years yet, so look for that number to grow.

Millennial Travel Trend #5: Their Use of Advisors MMGY Global says Millennials are increasing their use of travel advisors more than any other generation. It found that 18% of Millennials surveyed booked trips with an advisor in the preceding year. That’s up a strong 50% from the previous year, when 12% booked with an advisor. What’s more, a greater percentage of Millennials are booking with advisors than any other generation. And that’s just going to grow. When asked if they plan to use an advisor in the next two years, 30% of Millennials said yes – more than any other demographic.

While the method of marketing and travel planning might vary between these two major population groups, there is one thing they have in common, they seek immersive experiences.

According to John Stachnik, president of Mayflower Tours, "They don't want to hear about panning for gold, they want to do it." Stachnik called it sightdoing vs. sightseeing. Malott said boomers also crave the "local human touch." That means activities such as "meet the people" dinners or playing golf with locals will be highly attractive elements.

Appendix C

"Pairings" of Well-Known Attractions and Potential Complementary Sites First Day Attraction

Complementary Site(s)

Fallingwater /Kentuck Knob Ohiopyle State Park Fallingwater/ Kentuck Knob, Great Allegheny Passage, Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Nemacolin Woodlands Resort

Touchstone Center for Crafts Jumonville

Historic National Road Great Allegheny Passage

Fort Ligonier Friendship Hill National Historic Site Fort Necessity National Battlefield Kentuck Knob Sculpture Garden

Mt. Pleasant (Glass & Ethnic Festival) Fort Necessity National Battlefield / Braddock's Grave

Coal and Coke Heritage Center

Porter Theater

Connellsville lodging accommodations Fort Necessity /Braddock's Grave/ Jumonville Glen, Nemacolin Castle, Flatiron Building, Wharton Furnace, Searight Toll House Connellsville Area Historical Museum, Colonel Crawford's Cabin Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Braddock's Crossing, Braddock Road Various sites along the Historic National Road Layton, PA, Crawford's Cabin, Mt. Washington Tavern Pascal Annex (Seated Torso) Youghiogheny Glass Factory, Pascal Annex (Seated Torso), Connellsville arch, Tiffany Glass windows in Uniontown churches (Asbury, Trinity)

Commonality(s) Thematic (inspired by nature), geographic Geographic

Notes

Geographic

Connellsville can be positioned to host visitors to thes well-visited attractions

Geographic, thematic

The name-recognized corridor can help to draw visitors to the individual sites The popular trail gets people to the area; the work of the local contacts is to draw trail users to these and other sites

Geographic

Thematic Thematic, Geographic Thematic Thematic (sculpture)

Thematic

Connellsville Canteen Thematic Dunbar Historical Society museum, Connellsville, and Adelaide beehive ovens, Dawson National Historic Thematic District, Smock State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown and Geyer Theater in Thematic Scottdale

Grounds pass for both sites Hiking trails, birding, scenic views, 60' cross

Early American nation-building / French and Indian War Albert Gallatin (the "Father of the National Road") convinced Jefferson to sign the act and build the road through PA Capitalize on George Washington's battle story to draw visitors to other relevant sites he owned or visited. Several sites are accessible from the GAP.

Can also tie in the ethnic component and the importance of cultural traditions.

Include church steeples of Brownsville, Connellsville, and Uniontown.

"Fighting to build a nation and then to save the Nation." Can also incorporate CCC and WPA sites.

Story of the importance of the arts in the boom days of coal and coke (there were seven in Uniontown alone). Could possibly tie in the Connellsville Canteen (entertainment , the troops, USO).

Appendix D

Promotional Campaign Outline As consultants who are familiar with Fayette County, we believe that a promotional campaign focused on heritage travelers may be premature given the many tourism infrastructure challenges yet to be resolved. That said, it is possible to pursue a campaign that focuses on sites or corridors that are visitor ready. The Great Allegheny Passage provides a good example as a site that is campaign-ready (and attracts one of the largest visitor audiences in the county).

Examples of such a campaign could include one focused on Connellsville (imagine "Connellsville - more than a pedal thru!") or one that includes all of Fayette’s 50 trail miles (Ohiopyle, Connellsville, Adelaide, Dawson, Perryopolis).

Developing a solid promotional campaign requires significant planning and lead time to build out the event or program, engage partners, explore mutual opportunities and develop messaging. While the advertising theory regarding the need for a consumer to see an advertisement seven times before it makes an impression has in recent years been challenged, it is certainly true that “one and done” does not work. Therefore a key element in a promotional campaign is frequency across a broad media spectrum and in the case of social media, at various times during the day, to ensure the audience is reached and is aware of the offering.

The following are the suggested steps for developing a promotional campaign. The suggested outline covers a 12-14 month period recognizing that opportunities for event listings in guides like the LHVB Visitor Guide and Trail Guide have a deadline for listings due to the annual print schedule. The first step in outlining events or programs to be promoted should be to understand the submission deadlines, print schedules, and distribution dates. 

At least 14 months in advance, set the activities schedule for annual events and programs for the coming year or season.  Define goals and objectives for the subject of the promotional campaign including desired outcomes, target audience, how this promotional campaign could promote a broader message.  Seek partners and collaborators to build out the event, program, or itinerary. Get a commitment from partners to be sure that the experience promised can be delivered at or above expectations.  During the development process, put in place benchmarks that can ensure quality – from the food and lodging to the grass cutting, the interpretation, and the storytellers.  Check to ensure that the dates selected will not compete with other planned activities in the area.









 Post the schedule on all available partner “Calendar of Events” pages. Don’t overlook free web-based event listing sites.  Develop a campaign budget including: consulting fees, design fees, printing supplies, printing costs, distribution costs, photography, and media buys (obtain rate cards and schedules from targeted media outlets).  Be mindful of the 14-month timeframe in timing your promotional plan development to align with opportunities for grant funds (i.e., Tourism Grants)  Note: If you are gathering existing photography from various sources, ensure that they are high resolution and that you are clear on how to credit the images. If you hire a professional photographer, make certain you own all rights to the images with unlimited use (put this in writing) and that they do not have the right to use those photographs for their own work or for other clients.  Begin to recruit volunteer docents, greeters, ambassadors, costumed interpreters, etc. and begin the training process. Be sure to vet any historic or cultural stories with a qualified source (e.g. the National Park Service).

The Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau will be the key partner for marketing these events.

The LHVB has the staff, the funds, and the media connections to offer support.  At least 12 months out from the first event date meet with LHVB staff to discuss your events and the targeted audience.  Work with the LHVB to determine what campaigns it has planned and how your projects can fit into those media buys, online blogs, and the guide.

At least 9 months prior (this can vary according to any coordination required with LHVB for placement in its media buys) to a particular activity, fully build out the event, engaging with all partners and getting a commitment from the same regarding their ability to deliver on the experience promised.  In partnership with your collaborators, develop the message – verbal and visual.

In the beginning, seek the assistance of a communications design professional  Remember that less is more, white space is key, and details should focus on who, what, where, when, and why.

At least 6 months out, be sure that the infrastructure is in place to deliver the experience. The venues must be clean, bright, inviting, staffed with believers who can tell the stories and answer the questions.  Choose what attractions to include wisely and limit your choices to what all partners can handle. Promoting one or two great stories or itineraries that deliver on the promise is all you need to make your destination one to which people will return and send others.

6 months out, with advice from your consultant and in partnership with LHVB, begin scheduling media buys and ad placements (if applicable).













 Make sure to assign someone with the task of collecting printed articles, periodicals, blogs, Facebook posts and tweets, etc. to be used in the post-event debriefing as part of assessing the campaign results 3 months out, in collaboration with your partners, begin developing press releases and gather quotes from partners, etc. to make the release interesting and robust. With assistance from LHVB and its media connections, seek out travel writers, tourism reporters and bloggers who can start advancing the story you will tell with your event.

6 weeks out, you and your partners should send out press releases to all contact lists.

Make sure that the release contains quotes from all partners but one contact name for questions on the release content. That person should be accessible and able to respond quickly and enthusiastically to inquiries.  Depending on the target audience, ask key destination sites (e.g. Great Allegheny Passage), to post the press release or event announcement on their sites.

4 weeks out, hold a meeting of all event partners to ensure that everything is in place and again will deliver on the experience promised. Provide partner sites, docents, greeters, vendors, etc. with a detailed outline of the event or story so that they are able to answer visitor questions and provide the authentic experience visitors are expecting.

One week out:  Hold a final run-through meeting.  Reach out to media contacts to encourage news stories  Heighten social media posts  Have a plan for weather incidents and how that will be communicated to attendees and the media Day of event:  Be sure to test for consistency throughout the offering. If an itinerary is being promoted, all partners need to continually check and make sure that it’s consistently delivering the promise.  Measure success of attracting targeted audience by collecting attendees’ profiles via:  Brief Intercept Surveys – where are you from, how did you learn about this event? Provide a small token gift for survey completion.  Zip Code collection  “Win a Destination” Baskets – fill out the card, drop it in the container, don’t have to be present to win.

Post-event (within one week):  Hold a debriefing to measure success of promotional campaign, event quality, changes for next year, lessons learned, etc.  If you have collected names and address from attendees, conduct a survey (Survey Monkey, for example) to check satisfaction and intent on returning

Appendix E

Fayette County Cultural Heritage Itinerary Bank

Itinerary Connellsville Tagalong Tour

On the Rocks

Gist Self-guided walking tour focused on Connellsville, but would touch upon county-wide themes Various sites built "on the rocks" or of stone: (Fallingwater, Ohiopyle, Stone House, etc.) + a distillery tour

Rainy Day Tour Package Potential?

Potential?

Potential Lodging Partner(s)

Primary Theme(s)

Target Audience

Present day attractions, coal and coke heritage

Cultural Explorers trending Limited younger

No

N/A

Inpired by nature

Authentic Experiencers, Cultural Explorers

Yes

Cobblestone

Laurel Highlands Vintage "Vaca"

Auto tour to classic spots such as the Summit Inn, Ohiopyle, Fallingwater, and Laurel Caverns.

May also incorporate drive-in theaters, beach cruiser rentals, diners, antique shops, and car cruises

Find Your (Fayette) Park

Ties into National Park Service's Centennial celebration and "Find Sites of national Your Park" campaign. NPS sites: significance Friendship Hill, Fort Necessity, and Flight 93 nearby

Nature Nurture

How we're insprired by and build from our natural surroundings: Fallingwater, Touchstone Center, and Kentuck Knob

Five Fayette Views

A driving tour that connects five of the best views in the county (one Scenic beauty / natural that is reached by bike or hike - landscapes Ohiopyle High Bridge). Potential views: Kentuck Knob, Friendship Hill, Jumonville, Summit Inn

Auto touring / Laurel Highlands as a getaway destination

Inpired by nature

Authentic Experiencers, Cultural Explorers

Yes

Yes

Authentic Experiencers, general heritage audiences, Yes families

Cultural Explorers

Yes

Cultural Explorers, outdoor Limited recreation seekers

Notes 2-4 hour duration, depending on the individuals

Take a look at Westmoreland and Fayette sites that are closeby and also longtime tourist stops (Ligonier Beach, Idlewild)

Yes

Summit Inn

Yes

Would be important to do this in Hotel / B&B 2016 to tie into the NPS operators along Centennial and should check on routes 119, 40, permission to ties in to the 281 brand. The three NPS sites all happen to start with "F"

Yes

Touchstone

What opportunities exist for the visitor to be inspired and become makers? Touchstone?

What smaller sites can be paired with these well-known sites?

Limited

N/A

Hiking opportunities exist at three of these sites (Ohiopyle, Jumonville, and Friendship Hill)

"Gimme" a Grounds Pass

Includes sites in which people can visit and walk the grounds: Fallingwater, Kentuck Knob, Touchstone Center for Craft, Jumonville, Fort Necessity

Scenic beauty / natural landscapes, art and inspiration

Cultural Explorers, outdoor Limited recreation seekers, families

Forts, Factories, and Farm Stays

Fort Ligonier, Fort Necessity, and Industrious nature?

Authentic Experiencers, any factory sites or tours (possibly Shaping history and ways Cultural Explorers Yough Glass and the Pascal Annex in of life?

Dunbar)

Bee a Traveler

Indulge foodies in the edible, the historic (beehive ovens), and Food experience / local outdoor recreation (use the GAP to agriculture / industrial view the ovens). Perhaps include heritage eateries and shops that incorporate local honey

Ridgetops and River Valleys

Bike 'n Bus

"Fayette Flyer" East to West

A catchy name that can be used any number of ways Short-distance group bike experiences for bus groups.

Example: bike from Ohiopyle out over Low and High Bridges and maybe a few more miles. Nothing intense.

Roll your bike onto Amtrak in Cumberland (train departs 7:17 p.m.) and spend the night in Connellsville. Start day 2 with breakfast at the Valley Dairy and then bike 90 miles back to Cumberland. Trip can be broken into multiple days.

Yes

Yes

This is one way in which Fallingwater can benefit from being part of larger package (even when their house tours are fully booked, they can sell grounds passes; also they can reach audiences not willing or able to book a house tour, including families with children)

Yes

This itinerary crosses county lines. Could also be "From Forts to Factories" and trace history from the French & Indian War into the industrial era. The Connellsville and Dunbar sites are connected by trail.

Fine Family Apiary in Monongahela would allow for a multi-county itinerary and an opportunity to incorporate western Fayette County communities

Authentic Experiencers, Cultural Explorers

Yes

Yes

Scenic beauty / natural landscapes

Authentic Experiencers

Yes

Yes

Scenic beauty / gentle adventure

Authentic Experiencers trending older

Limited

Yes

Imagine a bus group of seniors with everyone sporting their new "I Biked the GAP" tees, even if they only do five miles

This can be built out to include heritage and cultural sites, shops and restaurants

"Fayette Flyer" West to East

Glass "Trumps" Coke

Feeling "Sheepish"

Art Lover's Tour of the Laurel Highlands

"Fierce" Women (or some other name)

Hop the early train (5:20 a.m.) from Pittsburgh and see the Laurel Highlands wake up. Start with breakfast at the Valley Dairy, take a Tagalong Tour of Connellsville, and ride the GAP

Thinking about Pascal's Seated Torso in Dunbar, coke ovens, the GAP as an easy ride between C'ville and Dunbar, Mt. Pleasant Glass & Industrial heritage / art Ethnic Festival Sept. 23-25. Other sites: Coal & Coke Heritage Center, Adelaide? Dar Mine?

May include time on the Sheepskin Trail, a farm tour or stay, and even menus featuring lamb (Shepherd's Sheep / culinary and Jamison Farms are in neighboring counties) Pascal's Seated Torso, Westmoreland Museum, State Art Theatre, public art, Touchstone, Kentuck Knob sculpture garden Weave stories of women who have left a mark in the area. Suzanne Pascal, Mrs. Kaufman (dared to disagree w/ F.L. Wright), Lillian McCahan (helped to keep Ohiopyle Fierce women on the map), the Connellsville Canteen ladies, Linda McKenna Boxx "gave us the GAP" (she's on a display in Ohipyle!)

GAP trail users

Authentic Experiencers, Cultural Explorers

Limited

Yes

Limited

Ride to Ohiopyle and then west to Perryopolis. Stay at Lenora's and ride home to Pittsburgh on day 2. Both days amount to 48 miles on the dot, so that could be another way to market it.

Yes

There's so much that can be done. These are just a few ideas.

Blend history and art. Can even work in the Westmoreland Museum with its great collection on industry. "Glass Trumps Coke" not to be taken literally - just a way to work in the bizarre Trump connection and coke ovens and story of coke.

Cultural Explorers, foodies, Limited cyclists

Yes

Cultural Explorers

Yes

Yes

Cultural Explorer

Yes

Yes

Cobblestone, Connellsville B&B

Woman-owned May resonate with Cultural B&Bs Explorer audience - 57% women

Appendix F

Themed Itinerary #1 “On the Rocks” Experience the southern Laurel Highlands with an “On the Rocks” Road Trip Pack your bags for a great two day visit to the breathtaking Laurel Highlands. Your “Rocks” adventure begins the evening before your first full day. Check in to the Cobblestone Hotel, located along the picturesque Youghiogheny River in Connellsville – right off the Great Allegheny Passage bike trail. Once you’ve unpacked, walk or drive a few blocks to Bud Murphy’s - a longtime favorite watering hole and eatery for locals. Grab a table or a bar stool and chat with the neighbors.

Day 1 Go for a nice relaxing stroll in the morning, and head for the Connellsville Canteen for coffee and pastries. The Canteen features a museum containing memorabilia and commemorates the local servicemen and women who served their country during World War II. While you are there, take a peek at the 25’ x 50’, Harry Clark's Indian Creek Valley railroad display featuring HO gauge model trains.

Don’t linger too long or you might miss your must-have tour reservation. Leave Connellsville, taking scenic Route 711 south to Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece Fallingwater or nearby Kentuck Knob, also designed by Wright. Before or after your tour, enjoy a bite to eat on the Fallingwater Café or try a local eatery in Chalk Hill or Farmington.

Getting a little thirsty? Time for a tour and tasting at Ridge Runner Distillery, owned by Christian Klay. If hard liquor is not your beverage of choice, simply walk across the street to Christian W. Klay Winery, which Christian’s mother Sharon opened in 1997. If you have called ahead, you can tour the vineyard with 14,000 vines as well as fruit trees and a lavender field. If your trip brings you here during harvest season, you can even help cut the grapes!

Time for dinner! Less than a mile east on Route 40, you will discover the Stone House Inn – built circa 1822 – this tavern was and is a favorite stop on the Historic National Road. Chef Jeremy and his staff prepare locally sourced foods and smoke pork and beef over a variety of hardwoods daily. Visit their website for special events and entertainment.

Day 2 Enjoy breakfast at the hotel or one of the local breakfast spots. Be sure to fuel up because you are headed down Route 711 again, but this time your destination is Ohiopyle. This small borough with only 68 permanent residents is also a trailhead for the Great Allegheny Passage. It is surrounded by Ohiopyle State Park, location of the Youghiogheny River Gorge, boasting of unique flora and fauna, rock shelves, and whitewater. How adventurous are you feeling today?

Here are just a few of your options in exploring this breathtaking park: a hike on Ferncliff Peninsula; rent a bike and take a ride on the Great Allegheny Passage; choose from any of the outfitters in town and whitewater raft the river; or if you packed your climbing gear, head for the rocks where you will find several crags, some easy top roping climbs or pitches with climbs rated from 5.4 to 5.12.

After all that exercise, you deserve a delicious lunch. So many locally owned and operated restaurants to choose from. Grab a bite, make sure you save room for dessert but first take a stroll. You won’t want to miss the local shops featuring local artisans’ work and of course gear and clothing. Ready for dessert? There are several ice cream and handmade chocolates options as well as on premise baked sweets.

Before heading home, return to Connellsville and shop their artisan center and be sure not to miss Wavie and Jane’s Emporium.

You’ve just scratched the surface of all there is to see and do in the southern Laurel Highlands.

We can’t wait for you to come back!

Themed Itinerary #2 The Journey is the Thing The Southern Laurel Highlands’ roads undulate through some of the most breathtaking and historic landscapes, offering beautiful vistas around every turn. Traveling to the destinations outlined in this journey might cause you to rewrite Homer’s quote, “The journey is its own reward” when you realize that the journey and the destinations will call you back.

Travel on the Laurel Highlands Scenic Byway (Route 381/711) to discover Frank Lloyd Wright’s magnificent, world renowned Fallingwater of organic architecture. Your tour guide will offer personal glimpses into how the house and its integration to the site were created in a manner never before attempted. This home was built for the Kaufmann family owners of a very successful department store in Pittsburgh. Speaking of shopping - don’t miss the gift shop, filled with a great selection of books, unique accessories for your home, stunning jewelry and so much more – you surely will be carrying a bag of new treasures when you leave. Ready for something to eat? The Fallingwater Café offers locally grown produce and organic meats in seasonal dishes created by a widely acclaimed on-site chef. Allow 2 hours for your tour plus time for shopping and dining plus lunch. Tour reservations are highly recommended.

Do you still want more Wright experiences? Take a side trip and discover Kentuck Knob, 6.3 miles from Fallingwater, through Ohiopyle. This home was built for the I. E. Hagan family owners of Hagan Ice Cream. The house offers another look at Wright’s amazing design mind – smaller in scale but equally entrancing. The sculptor garden adjacent to the house is a must see as is a visit to the gift shop for more treasures.

From Fallingwater, head down Ferncliff Road (381) to Ohiopyle State Park. Located at the southern reaches of the Laurel Ridge, the park encompasses 20,500 acres of rugged natural beauty, attracting over a million visitors each year. The recently opened 11,500 square foot fieldstone and glass Visitors Center overlooks the Youghiogheny River with a close up view of the stunning Ohiopyle Falls. The environmentally sensitive facility features geo-thermal heating, a vegetated roof, energy-efficient lighting and a biological wastewater treatment system including a small wetland of robustly growing plants. Interior and exterior displays offer a history of the park and the region. The charming community of Ohiopyle offers a number of great places to eat, drink and enjoy the views.

A multitude of hiking trails crisscross the park, and one of the country’s premier biking trails, the Great Allegheny Passage, runs directly through it. Voted as the country’s first Hall of Fame bike trail, the GAP (as it is often called) connects Pittsburgh and Cumberland, for 150 of “Nearly Level, Flat-out Gorgeous” miles. Welcoming “trail towns” every 20 or so miles ensure the experience includes sufficient food, drink and amenities along the way. From Ohiopyle State Park, grab your bike or rent one from one of the outfitters in town and pedal 11 miles south on the trail to arrive in the charming village of Confluence where you will find a quiet community

with an old-fashioned band stand surrounded by businesses ready to serve your every need. Or head north on the GAP from Ohiopyle, traveling alongside the picturesque Youghiogheny River for 17 miles to Connellsville, where you will be greeted by a local artist’s glass mosaic and painted silos representing the four season in the Laurel Highlands!

Whether you choose to pedal the GAP for a while or are just interested in driving the byways, head south on 381 out of Ohiopyle approximately 10 miles and you will arrive at Route 40 which in this area is also the Historic National Road. Turn right and travel about 1.3 miles to discover the National Park Service’s only site that commemorated the first battle of the French & Indian War. Fort Necessity National Battlefield offers a state-of-the-art interpretive and education center provides interactive insight into a war that set the stage for the American Revolution as well as the construction of the nation’s first federally funded highway built in the 1800s. The NPS compliment includes the battlefield, reconstructed fort and the Mount Washington Tavern – an authentic stage coach stop on the National Road as well as nearby are Braddock’s Grave (1/5 miles west) and Jumonville Glen (7 miles west). You should allow at least two hours to explore all of these sites.

End your byway journey at the top of the Laurel Summit Ridge at the Historic Summit Inn. The history of this mountain resort is reported in photos, narrative and artifacts lining its walls. In the early 1900s, what had been the Fayette Springs Hotel was purchased by wealthy coal industry capitalists from nearby Uniontown anxious to build lodging of “exceptional quality and durability.” The result features both a beautifully built and appointed resort, and an unparalleled view of the surrounding area. Many famous people including Henry Ford and Albert Einstein as well as US Presidents stayed here often. In 2014, “Treehouse Master” Pete Nelson and his team designed the Treehouse Bungalow featuring a 45-foot bridge leading to a cozy bungalow with a wraparound deck. The construction of the Treehouse was featured in the television series, “Treehouse Master” in January of 2014. Take some time to enjoy a meal or a beverage on the resort’s expansive front porches – a favorite viewing area for a breathtaking sunset over the southern Laurel Highlands!

Appendix G

Notable Attractions in Neighboring Counties Site W.A. Young & Sons Machine Shop/Fndry Henry Clay Iron Furnace Arthurdale WV Public Theatre Metropolitan Theatre Confluence, PA Rockwood, PA Meyersdale, PA Flight 93 National Memorial Glades Pike Winery Quecreek Mine Site Meadowcroft Rockshelter Pennsylvania Trolley Museum Fort Ligonier Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art Westmoreland Museum of American Art West Overton Museum Scottdale, PA Mt. Pleasant, PA Quilt Patch, Etc. Frank Lloyd Wright's Duncan House Out of the Fire CafĂŠ Saint Vincent College Gristmill West Newton, PA

County Greene Monongalia Monongalia Monongalia Monongalia Somerset Somerset Somerset Somerset Somerset Somerset Washington Washington Westmoreland Westmoreland Westmoreland Westmoreland Westmoreland Westmoreland Westmoreland Westmoreland Westmoreland Westmoreland Westmoreland

Fit Ties to mining heritage, steamboat repair (Brownsville connection) Ties to Wharton and Mt. Vernon furnaces and industrial heritage The Appalachian craft shop could tie to Appalachian Creativity Center State Theatre State Theatre Great Allegheny Passage Trail Town Great Allegheny Passage Trail Town Great Allegheny Passage Trail Town; maple heritage ties to local foods Tie to Fayette NPS sites (Fort Necessity and Friendship Hill) Pair with Christian W. Klay, Greenhouse, and Greendance wineries Pair with Coal & Coke Heritage Center and other mine heritage sites Oldest site of human habitation in N. America Transportation Tie to Fort Necessity Would support arts-focused itineraries Would support arts-focused itineraries Birthplace of H.C. Frick + origins as distillery could tie to Fayette sites Potential stop from those arriving from north and west Potential stop from those arriving from north and west Could pair w/ Seams Like Home, Sew Special, and regional quilt shows Ties to Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob "Fiery" open kitchen could fit industrial/coke oven themes; fine dining Tie to local foods initiatives or itineraries Great Allegheny Passage Trail Town

Appendix H

Tourism Economics graphics relative to statewide tourism Produced for the Competitive Analysis of Pennsylvaniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tourism Budget 2015 study

Appendix I

March 17, 2016 Culture and Heritage Focus Group Notes This meeting was held to gain insights from members of the tourism, arts, and cultural heritage communities. The discussion helped to inform the consulting team’s work on the attraction strategy.

Notes on the meeting and breakout group discussions follow.

• • •

“10 Great Places” video was shown.

Dan Cocks provided a welcome and some background on the Trust and building “bridges.”

Cathy and Amy provided background on the project and introduced the hub and spoke approach.

Introductions / Ice Breaker The group was asked to pick up an object that represented local culture and heritage or something that symbolizes opportunity in Fayette County. The following opportunities were shared throughout introductions: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Sheepskin Trail (x2) Railroad attractions and enthusiasts Architecture Convergence of architecture and nature (Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob, for example) Niche market of lodging in Connellsville Summit Hotel Artist communities, colonies (as in other places) “Making noise” about Fayette County and its offerings Great Allegheny Passage Building and making (at Touchstone, for example) Building a tourism economy Recreation and trails Foundation community “Clear Passage” vertical paddle a symbol of propelling us forward Water (bodies of) Fallingwater as a primary attraction – people come for Fallingwater and then want to do other things (historical, outdoors, etc.)

Historic structures Children (and programming at Carnegie Library; note to add to itineraries) Coal heritage – Dunbar coke oven (visitors can walk into the oven) Seated Torso – largest piece of carved glass in the world Plant life in Dunbar?

The arts (“Come for the art, stay for the history”) History of glass production (Galatin, Caston?)

Agriculture (4H, Fayette County Fair) Ethnic heritage, industrial heritage and history

•

Performing arts

Focus Group Discussion Question: What items to you wish had been on the table? What was missing?

•

•

A chain to signify a chain of communications to maximize opportunities o This tied into a conversation about sharing event information in order to better coordinate dates. One such effort: www.historicfayette.org (groups don’t always capitalize on such opportunities, and aren’t in this case) A literal missing / lacking amenity is cell coverage (also affects GPS signals) o Discussed this in relation to managing visitor expectations and preparing visitors to experience a rural, peaceful environment (turn it into a positive)

Question: What are the themes that might resonate with visitors?

These really were as listed by facilitators based on subsequent conversation.

• • • • • • • • • •

Local foods and agriculture Landscape / mountains / natural beauty Art, culture, performing arts History Outdoor recreation (don’t forget fishing) Industrial (coal, railroads, glass) Trump?

Geneology?

Madem Fayette (what is this?)

Ethnicities (churches, food)

Small Group Work At their tables, the group answered questions related to existing and potential audiences, as well as some of the most immersive experiences presently offered. These responses will be reported separately. When asked to quickly share the MOST interactive and immersive experiences (the opposite of “stop, stand and stare”), we heard: • • • • • • •

Wright houses Whitewater rafting / river experiences Stewart’s Crossing Laurel Caverns Touchstone Center FestiFall Coke ovens

• •

Tangled Up in Brew Christian W. Klay events

Question: If you have friends and family visiting, where do you take them?

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Connellsville Canteen Great Allegheny Passage (to Ohiopyle) Ohiopyle Bud Murphy’s Fallingwater West Overton Museum Festivals Linden Hall Fort Necessity Summit Inn (to enjoy the view from the porch and to see the treehouse) Friendship Hill Christian W. Klay Winery Bittersweet?

Flatiron Building Perryopolis Whitewater rafting Nemacolin (golf) Shopping (ArtWorks, Market House) Spas State Theatre

A point was made that some of these sites would work well for a rainy day itinerary. The desire for foodie themes was also discussed.

Question: How prepared are we to receive and satisfy visitors?

• • • • • • • • •

Need dedicated bike lanes Improve cell coverage (and/or managing visitor expectations) Finding dining locations for large groups a challenge (hosts can get creative here: a sandwich ring at the State Theatre, a municipality feeding large groups of visitors, ethnic foods, etc.)

Need for public showers, bike wash stations, secure bike storage (Dunbar Fire Dept. does) Moving people throughout the county (shuttle, Uber, etc.)

Opportunities: More Farm-to-Table (fresh, local foods – like Out of the Fire); getting Fayette eateries to use the Open Table app.

Welcoming attitude - frontline hospitality and otherwise Knowledge of other sites Training all staff and volunteers

•

Specific motorcoach tours

Question: What are you most hopeful of leaving today’s conversation?

• • • • • •

Working together Collaboration, communication Trail market is growing Community engagement Growth potential Many attractions

Misc. Comments • • • • • •

• • •

People are not only coming for one thing. Need to connect with other attractions and things to do.

Challenge: frontline staff’s knowledge and enthusiasm (or lack thereof) Opportunity: using the Trust site to house information on various attractions What makes Connellsville a hub: Amtrak and highway access, GAP Think about place more generally (than Connellsville); think instead about the county as a whole Challenge: navigating Connellsville (Fallingwater has stopped routing visitors through Connellsville as a result) o Need for improved signage Sites that currently house visitor information: LHVB, Fayette Chamber, Inn at Watson’s Choice What was the phrase about total sensory experiences – attractions and activities that engage all of the senses?

No Fayette restaurants using the Open Table app?

Upcoming Opportunities • • • • •

Next Fayette County Tourism Alliance meeting: April 11 April 20-21 workshop on Local Food Economy Sharing the state’s Pursue Your Happiness video – especially important given the lack of traditional marketing dollars allocated in the state budget Posting events on http://www.historicfayette.org/ (is this limited to historic attractions?)

Nut Murder in May?

Informative Side Conversations •

•

Donna Myers: Wishes other smaller sites could be on videos like “10 Great Places” (stating that the larger sites already have the visitors). We talked about how those sites pull people in and then the smaller sites can benefit.

Renee: LHVB’s responsibility is to draw visitors to the general area; towns bear the responsibility of creating a welcoming environment, needed amenities, etc. (the kinds of places that hold

• •

•

visitor appeal). A visitor’s time is limited; they want to feel they’re choosing the right places to visit within the Laurel Highlands.

Negative “Fayette Nam” reputation (“Why would I visit Fayette County?” – although some of those same folks may visit Fallingwater and Ohiopyle without making the connection) While not open often, the train room volunteer did a nice job of interacting – sharing photos and stories, holding out materials used in building the scene, talking about the guy who built it all, etc. This could be made even more interactive.

Others?

Small Groups Participants were asked to discuss existing and potential audiences at their tables. The following responses were received (ordered by table): Existing: • • • • • • • • • • •

Cyclists Locals – festivals, farmers markets Canteen visitors Art on the Yough Laurel Caverns Braddock’s Crossing Trails Fallingwater Kentuck Knob Crossroads Ohiopyle

Potential: • • • • •

Allegheny County – new residents Pittsburgh Millennials Farm-to-table crowd Former residents Artists – Radiant Hall model

Existing: • • • • • • •

Locals Friends, family Regional Bikers, rafters, hikers National Genealogy research Hunters, fishers

Potential:

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Mid-upper income, no children (30-50 years old) Attracting thru-riders

History buffs Genealogists Adventurists – bike riders Allegheny County – Cumberland Social media Restaurant Scene?

Lookers at brochure rack Frank Lloyd Wright fans Church groups Train buffs – targeting Amtrak route

Cyclists Fallingwater tourists Fayette County Fair Friends and family (funerals, class and family reunions, weddings, birthdays) Heritage tours Genealogists Fracking workers Business travelers, corporate meetings University related Arts

Existing: • • • • •

GAP trail / outdoor / rafting Frank Lloyd Wright properties Nemacolin / gambling Small % skiing – Somerset Theater – arts mostly local?

Potential: • • • •

Pittsburgh, Morgantown, D.C. regions Family / multigeneration Millennials / young Overnighters

Existing: • • • •

Visiting family Bicyclists to Ohiopyle – Connellsville Visitors to Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob NCAA Tournament at Penn State

• •

Mt. St. Macrina Pilgrimage Conventions at Nemacolin

Potential: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Genealogical researchers Trophy trout fishers Homecoming – researchers – roots seekers National Road enthusiasts – including from Europe Specific exhibits Museums Locals – scouting organizations Trying to develop school-aged visitors Missing in Action – Children as an audience Ohiopyle – camping National sites Cycling Food and drink opportunities Recreators Sightseers / tourism Families Groups

The small groups were also asked to list the most immersive and interactive experiences already being offered. Responses: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Recreation Wright sites Fallingwater Visitors center Touchstone (x3) Laurel Caverns (x2) Polar bear plunge Whitewater rafting Distance cycling / trails Fort Necessity Ohiopyle Braddock’s Crossing Coke oven Friendship Hill FestiFall (x2) Going down a river / anything outdoor “Stay behind the rope” Braddock Crossing River rafting / any river experience Tangled Up in Brew