Blair leaders eye new tourism group | News, Sports, Jobs

HOLLIDAYSBURG — Blair County leaders have already identified a potential organization to succeed Explore Altoona as the county's tourism and promotion agency.

Commissioner Dave Kessling said Friday he wants to hand over the county's TPA responsibilities to the Blair Alliance for Business and Economic Growth, the organization formed by the merger of the Altoona Blair County Development Corp. and the Blair County Chamber of Commerce.

Commissioner Amy Webster said Friday that she, too, is interested in designating Blair Alliance as the county's TPA.

“That's what we think, but there's a lot that has to happen before that happens,” Webster said. “And we don't really know how it's all going to happen.”

ABCD Corp. President and CEO Stephen McKnight said Friday that at this point, Blair Alliance had been asked — by the commissioners — to help “chart the course for an updated visitor attraction strategy with the development of outdoor recreation assets as a central theme.”

He said the alliance has been working with Kessling, who chairs the House’s trails and outdoor recreation subcommittee. Their discussions, McKnight said, have focused on how to market the area as “a true outdoor recreation destination while developing outdoor assets that have a positive impact on all municipalities.”

At Tuesday's weekly commissioners meeting, Kessling and Webster voted in favor of what they considered the first step in a series of actions that will decertify Explore Altoona as the county's TPA.

Fellow commissioner Laura Burke abstained from voting on the county attorney's advice. Her husband's partner is the attorney for Explore Altoona, she said.

While Explore Altoona and its predecessor, the Allegheny Mountains Convention and Visitors Bureau, have long been recognized as the county's tourism promotion agency, Kessling and Webster said Tuesday that their votes reflect a desire to certify a TPA that can both promote the county and develop new assets that draw people to Blair County.

Those assets could include developing and improving recreational trails, a desire identified in February when commissioners held a public meeting and heard broad support.

When the commissioners met on Tuesday, they did not mention their interest in Blair Alliance.

Kessling said Friday that after Tuesday's vote, he had answered questions about decertification and future plans, including questions that surfaced at the Tyrone Chamber of Commerce breakfast Thursday.

On Friday, Kessling said he wanted to express his interest in Blair Alliance as the county's TPA, based on ABCD's track record in asset development and marketing.

“It’s like getting two for one,” Kessling said.

ABCD and its predecessor, Altoona Enterprises, have a long history of economic development dating back to 1946. They have at least 2,000 projects related to business expansion, improvements and job retention.

ABCD also received a $249,000 state grant in June for a feasibility study to determine how to create an off-road vehicle trail network in Blair and three neighboring counties.

As for why he withheld the information Tuesday, he said he thought he would wait until the decertification process was further along.

“What we did (Tuesday) was just start the process,” Kessling said.

Their votes, however, immediately drew criticism.

Explore Altoona officials predicted serious impacts on the local economy if commissioners decide to decertify their organization.

They noted that Explore Altoona has 12 years of marketing experience that has made the county a premier tourist destination. They criticized commissioners for a lack of communication about their intentions, including not giving them advance notice of their intention to vote at Tuesday's meeting.

“The Explore Altoona Board of Directors represents all facets of tourism, from hoteliers to the arts, attractions, trails, restaurants, museums, outdoor recreation and more,” Board Chair Jodi Cessna told commissioners. “Business people from bankers to manufacturers make up this board. We also have a staff with expertise in tourism marketing and when to follow industry best practices.”

Webster said Friday that after Tuesday’s meeting, she heard positive comments in response to the commissioners’ vote. She said some reflected the commissioners’ desire to advance recreational trail projects, while others reflected a desire for better marketing of county assets.

“We have a lot of different assets in this county, including some that are not factored into promotions,” Webster said. “I’ve had complaints about areas being overlooked while the county as a whole is being promoted.”

Kessling offered a similar view at Tuesday's meeting, saying Explore Altoona is supposed to market all communities in Blair County and there is a difference of opinion as to whether that is being done.

“I think if you go into these communities, you’ll hear that they don’t feel like they’re represented,” Kessling said.

Pennsylvania Act 18 of 2016, which allows counties to collect up to 5% tax on those staying at local lodging establishments and requires certification by a TPA, gives municipalities a voice in the decision.

To decertify a TPA, counties must do so by their own resolution after holding a public hearing no later than seven days before their vote. They must also obtain resolutions of support from governing bodies reflecting an aggregate of more than 65% of the county's total population.

Based on Tuesday's action, the county is expected to soon begin distributing draft resolutions to the county's 24 municipalities, which include the city of Altoona, 15 townships and eight boroughs.

Mirror editor Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.