FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

May 20, 2024

MEDIA CONTACT: Zachary Appleby, zappleby@pa.gov or 717-783-8800 

Shapiro Administration Highlights Tourism Impact, Invites Public to Join in National Travel and Tourism Week Activities at PennDOT Welcome Centers

Harrisburg, PA – Today, on the heels of Governor Shapiro launching Pennsylvania’s new tourism brand – the Great American Getaway – PennDOT announced its 14 Welcome Centers will host National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW) from May 19-25. Around the state, tourism partners and counties will promote their businesses in-person to Welcome Center customers via static displays, giveaways and information tables. Partners include privately-owned Pennsylvania tourism attractions as well as state and national parks and museums. 

Each Welcome Center is a resource center for motorists traveling in the state, offering many free tourism services, such as lodging and restaurant reservations. In 2023, Keystone Welcome Centers served a total of 2.9 million customers, placed more than 9,000 reservations for nearly 10,000 customers and contributed nearly $1.6 million in tourism revenue.

“The staff at our Welcome Centers are the state’s most knowledgeable cheerleaders, directing travelers to all the places that make Pennsylvania so unique,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “Whether you’re a new or life-long resident, or you’re just traveling through, stop by a Welcome Center and see what we have to offer.”

Assisting travelers as they enter and travel throughout Pennsylvania, PennDOT’s Tourism Services Office and its 14 Keystone Welcome Centers provide the first impression of Pennsylvania to out-of-state travelers and provide effective, efficient and accurate information and resources that help shape their travel plans and stimulate economic activity throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 

Pennsylvania's Welcome Centers are at key border locations, including:

• Interstate-90 West, one-half mile past the Pennsylvania/New York border in North East, Erie County;
• I-70 East, about five miles from the Pennsylvania/West Virginia border in Claysville, Washington County;
• I-79 North, about five miles past the Pennsylvania/West Virginia border in Mount Morris, Greene County;
• I-70 West, about one-half mile past the Pennsylvania/Maryland border in Warfordsburg, Fulton County;
• I-81 North, about one-half mile past the Pennsylvania/Maryland border in State Line, Franklin County;
• I-83 North, about two-and-a-half miles from the Pennsylvania/Maryland border in Shrewsbury, York County;
• I-95 North, one-half mile from the Pennsylvania/Delaware border in Linwood, Delaware County;
• I-78 East, about one-half mile from the Pennsylvania/New Jersey border in Easton, Northampton County;
• I-81 South in Great Bend, Susquehanna County;
• I-84 off Exit 11 in Matamoras, Pike County;
• Route 15 South, seven miles past Pennsylvania/New York border in Tioga, Tioga County;
• I-80 West off Exit 310 in Delaware Water Gap, Monroe County;
• I-276 West on PA Turnpike, Milepost 328.4, King of Prussia, Montgomery County; and
• I-80 East, about one-half mile past the Pennsylvania/Ohio border in West Middlesex, Mercer County. Please note that this Welcome Center is currently closed for renovation.

PennDOT Welcome Centers are open seven days a week, including most holidays, from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM, with trained staff ready to provide information about regional attractions, and travel and accommodation assistance. For additional Pennsylvania travel and tourism information, or to request the 2024 Pennsylvania Travel Guide, check out visitPA.com or call 1-800-VISIT-PA (847-4872).

Tourism is one of the largest industries in Pennsylvania, generating over $76 billion a year and supporting more than 486,000 jobs. Investing in tourism is a key component of the Governor’s economic development strategy, and the Governor proposed an $18 million increase in his 2024-25 budget to boost tourism and business marketing efforts. The Governor’s 2024-25 budget also calls for significant investments directly tied back to the Commonwealth’s 10-year economic development strategy and issues a strong call to action for partners across all sectors to join in with their support.

You can read Pennsylvania’s first economic development strategy in 20 years here. For more information on how the Governor’s proposed budget will create opportunity for all Pennsylvanians, visit shapirobudget.pa.gov.

Subscribe to statewide PennDOT news and traffic alerts or choose a region to subscribe to. Information about the state's infrastructure and results the department is delivering for Pennsylvanians can be found at www.penndot.pa.gov/results. Find PennDOT's planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.   

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