Travel to Centre County continues to rise, according to the results of a report commissioned by the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau (HVAB) released on Wednesday.
The visitor profile report conducted by Longwoods Travel USA, a firm that tracks domestic travel and tourism, found visitations to the county were up 10.1% in 2022 compared to 2021 and that total visitor spending surpassed $900 million.
Centre County had a total of 4.8 million per-person trips in 2022, including 3.1 million day trips and 1.7 million overnight trips, according to the report. Overnight visitor spending was about $500 million, while day trips totaled $400 million.
“’Heads in beds’ are of course important to our lodging properties and hospitality businesses, as well as to the HVAB’s tourism economic development mission,” Fritz Smith, HVAB president and CEO said in a statement, noting that the county’s hotel occupancy tax funds tourism initiatives and marketing. “However, day trippers are also spending their dollars in our restaurants, attractions and travel-related businesses, and further fueling the local economy. Both are essential.”
Overnight trips increased by 19.5% in 2022 and day visits by 5.6%.
About 50% of visitors were between the ages of 25 and 54, with an average age of about 41. Approximately 60% of trips originated in Pennsylvania, with New York, New Jersey, Ohio and Texas rounding out the top five.
July through September saw the most visits, with 32% of overnight trips and 29% of day trips occurring during that time. But the report also showed year-over-year increases of 5 to 7% in day and overnight visitation during the months of January through March, a historically slow time that the HVAB has focused on marketing.
According to the HVAB, the upward trend in visitations is continuing in 2023. Hotel occupancy in July was 70.1%, up from 66.6% in 2022, and revenue was $8.025 million, up nearly 20% from last year.
That increase comes at a time when the county’s hotel inventory is down by nearly 500 rooms, a number that will increase when the Toftrees Golf Resort hotel goes offline for more than a year for a rebuild starting this winter. Several new hotel projects are in the works, however, with three planned in the Bellefonte area, a Canopy by Hilton as part of the State College Town Centre project, renovations and reopening of the Nittany Lion Inn and an increase in rooms at the new Toftrees Resort hotel.
Smith added that the sentiment and support of local residents is a key factor in growing the tourism economy that the report could not measure. He cited the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley in July, which drew thousands of visitors and involved participation from 34 local agencies and 1,100 community volunteers. Competitors scored the race a 92 out of 100, which Smith said is one of the highest rankings for a first-time Ironman event.
Organizers were, though, met with some complaints about hours-long road closures that in a few cases prevented residents from leaving or getting to their homes.
“That event does not happen without community support, and we are working with the organizations to improve logistics for next year,” Smith said.
In the big picture, Centre County tourism is on the verge of a $1 billion economy, as longtime events have gotten back in full swing after COVID cancelations and downsizing and new events and destinations make their home in Happy Valley.
“This is a promising time for Happy Valley tourism,” Smith said.
