Daily American 

The Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau (LHVB) will host a Coffee Chat to review changes to the 2016
Somerset County Tourism Grant Program on Nov. 19. The Question and Answer session will be held
at the Somerset Country Club from 9 to 10:30 a.m. with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m.
The new criteria and 2016 applications will be available.
“I encourage any tourism business or organization who is considering applying to attend. We have
streamlined the process and will review the new application, changes in guidelines, and the new
forms that will be required,” said LHVB President and CEO, Reneé Seifert.
The annual tourism grant program is administered by the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau – the
county’s official destination marketing organization and the Somerset County commissioners. Since
the program’s inception, $3.5 million has been awarded to tourismrelated
entities throughout the
county.
Tourism is big business for Somerset County. According to the Pennsylvania Tourism Office’s most
recent Annual Economic Impact Travel Report (visitpa.com), travelers spent more than $1.8 billion
in the Laurel Highlands region in 2013. The region had the second highest share of travelers’ dollars
going towards lodging and food & beverage costs among the state’s 11 tourism regions. Somerset
County generated more than $380 million in visitor spending along with 3,295 jobs in the tourism
sector.
The Coffee Chat is free.

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