SEVEN SPRINGS, Pa., (Feb. 13, 2020) – Forty-nine Somerset County tourism-related businesses and organizations were awarded a combined total of $585,384 during a presentation today at Seven Springs Mountain Resort. Fifty-three applications were submitted for this year’s program.
The Annual Tourism Grant Program is funded by 40 percent of the Somerset County Lodging Tax which became effective September 2002. Awards are granted annually on the basis of merit as determined by the Somerset County Tourism Grant Review Committee and administered by the Somerset County Commissioners and the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau (LHVB). Since the program’s inception, more than $5.3 million has been awarded in tourism grants. A full list of grant recipients and their projects can be viewed online at www.laurelhighlands.org/grants.
“In 2019, Somerset County continued to produce positive numbers for occupancy and lodging revenue,” said Ann Nemanic, Executive Director, Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau. “The reinvestment of these awards back into Somerset’s tourism community is critical for tourism growth in the Laurel Highlands. Recognition of tourism as an economic driver remains a commitment of the Somerset County Commissioners. I am excited to see new grant recipients and new businesses opening and thriving in Somerset County.”
Grant review committee members included: former Commissioner Paul Terlingo; Eric Mauck, CEO of Seven Springs Mountain Resort; George Coyle, General Manager of Somerset Med Services; John Weir of PBS Coals; and Kristin Ecker, Senior Director of Marketing for the LHVB.
About Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands
A magnificent mountainous region, the Laurel Highlands spans 3,000 square miles in southwestern Pennsylvania. Located an hour east of Pittsburgh, the beautiful four-season destination offers spectacular natural scenery, outstanding outdoor recreation, historic sites and attractions, family activities and world-class resorts. Notable destinations within the region include four architectural masterpieces by Frank Lloyd Wright – Fallingwater®, Kentuck Knob, Mäntylä and Duncan House – Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Flight 93 National Memorial, Idlewild and Soak Zone, whitewater rafting at Ohiopyle State Park and more.
Located within 200 miles of the major metropolitan areas of Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cleveland and Washington D.C., the Laurel Highlands can be easily accessed from exits 67, 75, 91 and 110 of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Visitors to the Laurel Highlands can find information online at www.LaurelHighlands.org, calling 724.238.5661, www.facebook.com/laurelhighlandsPA and www.twitter.com/laurelhighlands. Established in 1958, the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau is the official destination marketing organization for Fayette, Somerset and Westmoreland counties in southwestern Pennsylvania.
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