×

Plea made to increase state tourism funds

CARRIE LEPORE

CARRIE LEPORE

With a state budget deadline looming, officials of many agencies heavily dependent on funding are hopeful they won’t see their dollars cut.

Then there’s Carrie Lepore, deputy secretary for marketing, tourism and film at the state Department of Community and Economic Development.

Lepore is making a case for why tourism funding actually should be increased in the coming year.

She told the Sun-Gazette this week that tourism is a vital investment tool of the state. In other words, dollars spent come right back to Pennsylvania.

“A $6.1 million investment is what we need,” she said.

That is the increase being proposed for the agency by Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration.

Right now, the allocation is $3.9 million.

Lepore said promoting the state is important because tourism dollars spent here ultimately generate even more revenue.

“We want to put $6.1 million into the advertising to promote Pennsylvania,” she said.

Lepore noted that the state spent $30 million annually on tourism marketing in 2009, only to see that figure drastically fall by $125 million between 2009 and 2014.

She referred to a 2015 study by Tourism Economics, revealing that for every dollar cut from the tourism budget during that five-year period, the state lost $3.60 in state taxes. Overall, that represented a net loss of $324 million in taxes.

The dollar losses could have been even greater if not for the short-term infusion of hotel revenue from the Marcellus Shale industry, according to the study.

Tourism is among the largest industries in the state, generating $39.2 billion annually in visitor spending.

Lepore conceded that the state funds many programs and services that are important but now may face spending cuts. However, slashing tourism dollars isn’t the answer to solving the state’s budget woes.

“We need to generate revenue,” she said. “We can’t cut our way out of this.”

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

COMMENTS

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today