PRESS RELEASE

Philipsburg Partners with Heritage Travel

The Philipsburg Revitalization Corporation announces a new partnership with Heritage Travel, Inc., a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Heritage Travel's Gozaic.com is a convenient travel-planning resource for consumers. This online community allows people to find, -share and connect through heritage- and culture-rich interests and experiences. The website also provides extensive online visibility for historic destinations and sites, including the Rowland Theatre and other local historic sites.

New research confirms the extensive market for heritage and cultural tourism. Heritage Travel, Inc. was the lead sponsor of this study which was commissioned by the U.S. Cultural & Heritage Tourism Marketing Council and conducted by Mandala Research.

• 78% of U.S. leisure travelers (118 million adults) participate in cultural and/or heritage activities when traveling.
• 24% of U.S. leisure travelers (36 million) will take a cultural/heritage trip within the next 12 months.
• 65% of these travelers seek travel experiences where the “destination, its buildings and surroundings have retained their historic character.”
• $994 is the average amount spent by heritage and cultural travelers on each trip compared to $611 spent by other leisure travelers.
• 5 trips in the past 12 months were reported by cultural and heritage travelers on average, compared to only four for other travelers.

"People are seeking authentic and enriching travel experiences -- everything from touring heritage areas and visiting historic sites to shopping in historic downtowns, eating regional cuisine and sleeping in historic hotels," said Scott Gerloff, president and CEO of Heritage Travel, Inc. "Through Gozaic.com, destination partners broaden their outreach and exposure to heritage- and culture-minded travelers."

Heritage Travel has hundreds of destination partners across the country. Each partner is represented through in-depth information on Gozaic.com that includes a historic overview, visitor information, events, reviews written by Gozaic members and vivid photography.

“We are really excited about this opportunity to showcase our community to those with an appreciation for history” Main Street Program Manager Emily Gette-Doyle stated. “We believe there will be great value from this participation in Heritage Travel, Inc., and that marketing Philipsburg’s history, culture, architecture, and sense of place will help our revitalization efforts.”

Heritage Travel, Inc. is the new online community established to present the broad range of heritage destinations, sites and events that define our collective past and enrich our lives. The company’s website – www.Gozaic.com – is being developed in an innovative way to provide a powerful travel planning resource for heritage and cultural travelers as well as an online community where people can find and share heritage- and culture-rich experiences. Based in Washington, D.C., Heritage Travel is a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. For information, visit www.gozaic.com.

Press Release

In cooperation with the Philipsburg Revitalization Corporation, the Pennsylvania Downtown Center is pleased to host an Updates & Outreach Roundtable at The Philips Hotel, 200 East Presqueisle Street in Philipsburg on March 10th from 2-4pm and 6-8pm. The session will provide our membership with important updates for their revitalization efforts and will give them an opportunity to discuss the direction of their program with knowledgeable staff. The session will also offer a wealth of information for those interested in learning more about the services we provide. To register for the Roundtable, http://pdcroundtablephilipsburg.eventbrite.com. There is no cost to attend.

Additionally, Pennsylvania Downtown Center will also host its Hospitality Training: Train the Trainer workshop in the morning at the same location, from 8:30 to 12:30. Led by Carol Aubitz, President of Excelsior Marketing, this workshop is based upon the City of Lancaster’s successful Downtown Friendly hospitality training program, which Carol developed and integrated into her broad, four-year marketing plan for the City. In 2001, the Downtown Friendly program was selected from 7,500 entries to receive the Association of Professional Brochure Distributors’ First Place Regional Award for Excellence.

To register for the Hospitality Training workshop, please contact Emily Deardorff directly at 717.233.4675 or emilydeardorff@padowntown.org. Cost is $25 for PDC members and $35 for non-members.

Philipsburg Elm Street Plan Presentation

The Philipsburg Revitalization Corporation in partnership with Philipsburg Borough and Derck and Edson announce the presentation of the draft Philipsburg Elm Street Plan. The plan will be publicly presented in its entirety on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 6 pm at the Philipsburg Borough Building. The public is encouraged to attend.

Elm Street is a statewide neighborhood revitalization program. It is a sister program to Main Street and provides financial assistance to homeowners to renovate their homes and yards as well as funding for public space improvements. This is an excellent opportunity for interested community members to not only learn about the redevelopment ideas and opportunities that the plan will bring, but it will also give the public a chance to provide their input about the plan to project consultants.  Be sure not to miss this event, as it will allow you to help make a difference in Philipsburg.

The Philipsburg Revitalization Corporation is a non-profit charitable organization as defined in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The PRC and the Moshannon Valley Economic Development Partnership jointly operate the Philipsburg Main Street Program which is funded through community support of businesses and individuals. For more information contact Emily Gette-Doyle, Main Street Manager 342-2260.