The Governor bestowed the honor during the first Governor's Conference on Tourism in Gettysburg, which was created to focus on preserving the distinctive character of a community while building economic development through cultural and place-based tourism.

"Small towns do not need to become cities to create a more robust economy. Our quaint farming communities should not lose their rustic nature to attract tourists. And, our urban communities do not need to dilute their strong cultural heritage to share it with others," Governor Rendell said. "This conference has provided practical examples of how tourism has spurred economic development while taking preservation into account."
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"The tourism opportunities in the commonwealth would not be as strong or as diverse without the contributions of these inductees who, through their inspiration, leadership, enterprise, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit, have enriched the experience of visiting the various regions of the commonwealth," Governor Rendell said.

"While it is clear these visionaries have had the foresight and motivation to create new products and tourism opportunities and have done so while creating new family-sustaining jobs in the commonwealth," the Governor said. "They are the keystones of the tourism economy."
Destination Pennsylvania: The Governor's Conference on Tourism was developed by the Pennsylvania Tourism Office and the Office of Community Affairs and Development in association with the Governor's Tourism Partnership and the Team PA Foundation.

Michael Chapaloney, Tourism
717-720-1301

Pennsylvania Office of the Governor 
Chuck Ardo, +1-717-783-1116
http://www.governor.state.pa.us