May/June 2003
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Framework for Heritage Tourism
Development
The places, events and stories of Pennsylvania's past are
evident in its small towns, proud cities, scenic landscapes, museums,
ethnic festivals, and cultural institutions. Over the years, Pennsylvania
has made significant investments in its heritage sites and stories.
And in turn, these have made a return on that investment by attracting
visitors from in and around the commonwealth. In 2000 alone, Pennsylvania's
heritage travelers spent about $5.6 billion on food, lodging,
transportation, and other goods and services during their visits.
Heritage travelers, while comprising just 22 percent of domestic
leisure visitors, deliver 40 percent of tourism related expenditures.
Recognizing the heritage resources of Pennsylvania, a group of
state agencies and industry associations joined forces in 2001
to oversee a yearlong planning process identifying what statewide
actions would enable Pennsylvania's heritage tourism development
system to provide a better visitor experience, improve communities
and enhance the quality of life they offer residents, and increase
resultant economic benefits. The group, which formed an Oversight
Committee, includes the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, PA Historical
and Museum Commission, PA Departments of Community and Economic
Development and Conservation and Natural Resources, PA Tourism
and Lodging Association, PA Convention and Visitors Bureaus, PA
Heritage Parks Association, and Westsylvania Heritage Corporation.
The work plan included establishing a diverse statewide Task
Force of about 45 people, and holding nine regional workshops
to receive input, feedback, and direction from those engaged in
heritage tourism efforts. The collective effort is now available
in the recently completed report, Heritage Tourism Development:
A Policy Framework for Pennsylvania.
The document's objectives and strategic options reflect two principles
that form the foundation of all its recommendations: heritage
tourism is deeply rooted in stewardship, and the heritage tourism
development industry should share information so that investment
decisions can be made from performance assessment tools, market
research and best practices. The primary goal in the Policy Framework
is for heritage tourism and economic development to become fully
integrated throughout Pennsylvania. To achieve that goal, the
following four objectives have been identified: secure sustainable
funding, upgrade heritage experiences, market heritage strategically,
and increase leadership capacity.
Sustainable Funding
To attract visitors and their money to Pennsylvania, the heritage
tourism system relies extensively on attractions owned by public
sector or non-profit entities. Most charge little for the experiences
they offer and most of the economic benefits are realized by offsite
hospitality enterprises. To secure dedicated annual funding, economic
investment should be tied to the industry's revenue generation.
For example, funding should be aimed at economic activity largely
generated by tourism, and funding sources to small businesses
that are tourist-serving enterprises should be expanded.
Upgrading Experiences
Strategic investments are needed to enhance the visitor's quality
experience and to help Pennsylvania remain competitive with other
states. Investments should be based on consumer behavior, market
appeal and return on investment while ensuring visitor hospitality
and safeguarding the character created by the built and natural
environment. Increased technical assistance to the heritage tourism
community can result in an improved visitor experience. Improved
hospitality services, increased ties among venues, and clearly
defining quality standards can improve the overall heritage experience
for the visitor and sustain a "sense of place" for Pennsylvania
communities and residents.
Market Strategically
Marketing Pennsylvania's heritage tourism offerings is critical
to bringing the lucrative segment of the leisure travel market
to our state. Visitors, however, represent just one target audience
for the heritage tourism system. Heritage tourism's contributions
to the economy and quality of life make all Pennsylvanians stakeholders
in its success. By making better marketing decisions, improving
communications tools and directing efforts more strategically,
resultant cost savings may be used for audience research and visitor
satisfaction surveys that benefit the entire heritage tourism
system.
Cultivate Leadership
Heritage tourism interests are numerous and diverse, involving
multiple state agencies and many nonprofit and private sector
enterprises. One central office devoted to coordinating heritage
tourism development at the state level could enable Pennsylvania's
many dedicated practitioners to marshal their own resources more
efficiently and effectively. Leadership for the heritage tourism
industry could evolve from several existing structures, based
on current and future industry activities and the need to balance
centralization with collaboration.
Improving performance, value
Heritage tourism is fundamentally about placemaking: economic
development and land stewardship that together create vibrant
Pennsylvania communities. Tracking the performance of heritage
tourism is crucial for demonstrating its value to the commonwealth.
Measuring performance and reporting on the economic activity of
tourism is the keystone of Heritage Tourism Development: A Policy
Framework for Pennsylvania.
All those who contributed to this planning process hope these
ideas take root and contribute to a stronger integration of economic
development, community enhancement, and heritage tourism development.
The Policy Framework can guide future efforts to ensure that Pennsylvania's
heritage tourism development system fulfills its promise of making
communities great places to live, work, invest, and visit.
Copies of the report are available from the Center for Rural
Pennsylvania and by electronic access on the PA Tourism and Lodging
Association's website at www.patourism.org.
Tell Us How "Rural Works" for You
Is your rural community or organization acting on its idea of
building a better rural Pennsylvania? If so, the Center for Rural
Pennsylvania would like to hear your story to share it with others.
Over the next several months, the Center will collect information
about the work of rural Pennsylvania communities, organizations
and groups who, through innovative programs, projects or partnerships,
are improving their rural communities' conditions, and providing
opportunities to sustain the good works they have achieved. The
program should be currently running or should have started and
been completed between January 2000 and this year.
After the Center has received and compiled the information, it
will feature the stories in its newsletter and in a special publication.
The publication will provide details about the programs and projects
so that other rural communities may replicate the models to use
in their communities. The Center also plans to use the publication
to celebrate the success of the programs and applaud the commitment
of those involved.
To provide us with details of your project, program or partnership,
contact the Center for Rural Pennsylvania for an information form
at (717) 787-9555 or download the form, available in pdf format,
at www.ruralpa.org. The completed forms
should be returned to the Center by Friday, October 31, 2003.
Chairman's Message
In April, I was pleased to present to the Pennsylvania General
Assembly the results of a statewide strategic effort to promote
heritage tourism. With the assistance of a PowerPoint program
prepared by the staff of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a
strategic plan to enhance heritage tourism promotion was unveiled.
Executive Director Barry Denk explained how various state and
local agencies, including the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, worked
diligently in compiling this vision for the past two years in
order to ensure visitors to our great commonwealth leave with
a greater appreciation of our historic contribution to the nation.
For residents, this plan works to ensure that quality of life
and economic benefits are integral to the direction private and
public entities pursue in promoting our state's tourism resources.
The plan, which is highlighted in the feature story on page 1,
offers some exciting ideas for Pennsylvania tourism, the commonwealth's
second largest industry, and we look forward to its implementation
and the continued success of heritage tourism efforts statewide.
Don't miss our request for feedback that is highlighted on page
1. The Center for Rural Pennsylvania is compiling statewide information
on how projects, programs or partnerships are helping rural areas
thrive. We hope to hear from public and private organizations
that are working to improve conditions in their rural community
or communities. Success stories will be gathered together by the
Center over the next few months and presented in Rural Perspectives
and a print publication. Rural Works will be a way of celebrating
and sharing with others the work of rural Pennsylvania communities,
organizations and groups who are acting on their ideas to build
a better rural Pennsylvania. Let us hear from you soon.
I am always proud of the work performed by the staff of the Center
for Rural Pennsylvania. They produce quality reports that are
filled with useful information in user-friendly formats. I am
pleased to announce three fact sheets completed in-house on the
topics of small town municipal computer use, socio-demographics
of rural Pennsylvania, and rural unemployment. The fact sheet
on municipal computer use is based on a survey of small boroughs
and townships statewide, while the other fact sheets are based
on data available from the U.S. Census Bureau and state Department
of Labor and Industry, respectively. For copies of any of the
fact sheets, contact the Center.
Finally, as we enjoy the beauty and bounty of this spring season,
let us show our patriotism and appreciation for our military men
and women who bravely defend our freedoms in faraway lands. Whenever
the opportunity arises, say thanks to our veterans and let them
know their service to their country will never be forgotten. God
bless America.
Representative Sheila Miller
Municipal Computer Use
Most small municipalities are keeping pace with technology, but
Internet access continues to be an issue, according to a recent
study conducted by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania.
The survey of Pennsylvania boroughs and townships with populations
of less than 2,500 residents revealed that 80 percent of small
municipal governments have computers and that more than 50 percent
of municipal computers were less than two years old.
The survey also revealed that, among the small municipalities
with computers, 72 percent can access the Internet and 28 percent
cannot.
The most common method of accessing the Internet was by telephone
(dial-up modem). Less than 10 percent of small municipalities
had high-speed access to the Internet using cable modem, a T-1
line, or DSL.
Small municipalities that access the Internet have larger budgets,
more full-time employees, and relatively newer computers than
those municipalities without Internet access. Of those small municipalities
that do not access the Internet, the top reasons to forgo access
are cost and need.
For a copy of the survey results, entitled Municipal Computer
Use, contact the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555
or email info@ruralpa.org.
Trends in Rural Pennsylvania
Socio-demographics - So That's a Rural Pennsylvanian!
Meet John or Jane Q. Rural: a 38-year-old white person of
German decent who was born in
Pennsylvania, earned a high school diploma, got married, and now
has a household income of $47,713.
That, in a nutshell, is your average rural Pennsylvanian in the
year 2000. How does our average rural Pennsylvanian compare with
other persons living in the commonwealth's rural and urban areas?
Let's take a look.
Demographics
If you were to meet the average rural Pennsylvanian in 2000, you'd
encounter a 38-year old white non-Hispanic. That person could
be either male or female since 50 percent of rural Pennsylvanians
are male and 50 percent are female. Rural women are older, at
an average of 39.4 years of age, compared to men at 37.1 years.
Children (under 18 years old) comprise 25 percent of the population
while the elderly (age 65 and older) make up 15 percent. Urban
males are a bit younger (average 36.2 years) and females a bit
older (average 39.9 years) than their rural counterparts. And
the urban gender balance is skewed with 52 percent of the population
being female.
The general rural population is older than it was a decade earlier.
The average age in rural areas in 1990 was 36 years, two years
younger than in 2000. In addition, 24 percent of the population
was children and 13 percent were age 65 or older in 1990. The
age makeup of the rural population has changed as the total number
of children increased by less than 1 percent while the number
of elderly increased by more than 15 percent.
Minorities, persons who are non-white and/or are Hispanic, account
for less that 5 percent of the total rural population. In urban
areas, 22 percent of the population is minorities.
Between 1990 and 2000, the number of minorities in rural Pennsylvania
more than tripled. While minority populations in these areas are
certainly increasing, part of the reason for the magnitude of
this increase is that the 2000 Census offered more race self-identification
options.
Digging Deeper
Let's look at some other demographic details in the areas of ancestry,
place of birth, and disability status. One in four (25 percent)
rural Pennsylvanians reported German as their most prominent ancestry.
American (United States), Irish, English, and Italian followed
at between 6 and 8 percent each. In 1990, 40 percent claimed German
ancestry, 8 percent each claimed Irish and English, and 5 percent
were Italian.
Just over 1 percent of the rural population was foreign born
in 2000, meaning that about 99 percent are native-born Americans.
Of those native born, 82 percent were born in Pennsylvania. A
decade earlier, 84 percent of rural Pennsylvanians were born in
the state and 1 percent were foreign born.
About 18 percent of rural Pennsylvanians have some sort of disability,
which can include sensory, mental, physical, self-care (dressing,
bathing or getting around the home), going outside the home (alone
to shop or visit the doctor's office), and employment (working
at a job or business). Of those with disabilities, 44 percent
have more than one type. The most common disability type is one
that inhibits employment while the least common is self-care.
Social Characteristics
Family Life
Of the population age 15 and older, 64 percent are married. Of
those not currently married, 21 percent have never been married,
7 percent are widowed, and another 7 percent are divorced. In
urban areas, 54 percent are married while 29 percent have never
been. Again, the widowed and divorced are at about equal numbers
although each slightly higher than in rural areas. There has not
been much change since 1990 when 65 percent of rural residents
age 15 and older were married, 22 percent had never been married,
6 percent were divorced and 8 percent were widowed.
Household makeup is another indicator of family life. A household,
defined by the Census Bureau, is a person or persons who occupy
a housing unit. A family is two or more people residing together
who are related by birth, marriage, or adoption. In rural Pennsylvania,
75 percent of households are comprised of families while 21 percent
are persons living alone and the balance is other non-family households.
Among family households (families), 35 percent are the traditional
married couple with kids. Meanwhile, 8 percent are single parents
and nearly half are married couples without children.
In 1990, the picture was just a little different. About 78 percent
of households were families, 86 percent of families were married
couples (with or without children), and 7 percent of families
were single parents.
Economics
Income, poverty, and labor force statistics are important indicators
of economic well-being. The average rural household income, according
to Census 2000, was $47,713, nearly $6,500 less than the urban
average. At the same time, the rural average was an increase of
almost 47 percent, or 12 percent adjusted for inflation, from
1990.
Also in 2000, the rural poverty rate was 9 percent. The rate
is higher for children (under age 18) at 12 percent, but lower
for both the elderly (age 65 and older) and working age adults
(age 18 to 64) at 8 percent each. In 1990, the rural poverty rate
was higher at 10 percent.
Rural civilian labor force participation is at 62 percent, meaning
that nearly two-thirds of the population age 16 and older who
are not in the Armed Forces are working or looking for work. The
labor force participation rate is 70 percent for men and 55 percent
for women. Of those in the civilian labor force, most are working.
Fewer than 5 percent are unemployed. Overall rural civilian labor
force participation in 1990 was the same as in 2000 at 62 percent
but different between the sexes - 52 for women and 72 for men.
The unemployment rate was higher at 5.9 percent.
Education
Educational attainment data show that 22 percent of rural Pennsylvanians
age 25 and older never finished high school. The most common level
of schooling is a high school diploma or equivalent at 41 percent.
Many, though, have attained higher education levels: 15 percent
had some college but no degree, 5 percent had an associate's degree,
and 17 percent had a bachelor's degree or higher. Rural education
levels have improved since 1990 when 38 percent had less than
a high school education and 14 percent had a bachelor's degree
or higher. A "Trends" fact sheet specifically on education
will be released later this year.
Conclusions
Rural Pennsylvanians have certain definable characteristics, but
they are changing over time. Since 1990, rural residents are,
on average, older, more racially diverse, better educated, and
are making more money. More women are in the labor force and unemployment
is lower.
Want more info?
For the fact sheet Trends in Rural Pennsylvania, Socio-demographics:
So That's a Rural Pennsylvanian!, call the Center for Rural Pennsylvania
at (717) 787-9555 or email info@ruralpa.org.
Definitions and Data Source
Rural - All residents of Pennsylvania municipalities
in which the population density, based on the 2000 Census, is
lower than the statewide figure of 274 persons per square mile
or with a total population under 2,500 persons, unless more than
50 percent live in an urbanized area as defined by the U.S. Census
Bureau. The remaining municipalities are considered urban. This
detail is possible for this fact sheet since it includes only
Census data, which is available at the municipal level.
Socio-demographics: Characteristics of a person
or group of persons. Here, demographics are innate characteristics
like age, race, and gender while social characteristics are ones
acquired in society, such as education, income, and marital status.
All data come from the 1990 and 2000 Census, U.S. Census Bureau.
NOTE: Trends in Rural Pennsylvania is a series of articles that
examines nine major areas of interest in rural Pennsylvania. The
areas of interest are based on the mandates outlined in the Center
for Rural Pennsylvania's enabling legislation (Act 16 of 1987),
and include: agriculture; economic development; local government
capacity and fiscal stress indicators; transportation; socio-demographics;
health care and human services; environment and natural resources;
education; and the condition of existing local infrastructure.
We will examine the trends in each interest area from 1990 to
2000, or the best time period according to data availability,
and will make comparisons between the rural and urban areas of
our state.
A more detailed fact sheet on each featured topic will also be
available upon request by calling or emailing the Center for Rural
Pennsylvania at the contact information listed at the bottom of
page 2.
This is the third article in the series. The others examined
health care access and affordability, and transportation.
Snapshot: The Rural Unemployed
In 2000, 58,900 individuals were unemployed in rural Pennsylvania,
representing a rate of 5 percent. Data from that same year indicate
that the typical rural unemployed person was 40 years old, had
a high school education, was unemployed for about 14 weeks, and
was previously employed in a manufacturing or service sector job.
Collecting the data
To better understand the challenges and opportunities for the
unemployed in rural areas, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania analyzed
Unemployed Compensation Claims data for the year 2000 from the
Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry (L&I). Through
a special arrangement, the Center received a sample of the year
2000 unemployment claims.
For national figures, the Center used data from the 2000 and
2001 Current Population Survey (CPS), collected and tabulated
for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and data from the U.S.
Census Bureau.
Pennsylvania's Rural Unemployed
In 2000, an average of 58,900 rural Pennsylvanians were unemployed
over a 12-month period, the lowest number of unemployed persons
since 1974. The annual unemployment rate in rural areas was 5.0
percent, while the state rate was 4.2 percent and the national
rate was 4.0 percent.
Sixty-three percent of the rural unemployed were male and 37
percent of the rural unemployed were female. Their average age
was 40 while the average age of urban unemployed persons was about
41.
On and off the job
The average number of years a person spent working before becoming
unemployed was 5.6 years. Males had an average tenure of 5.7 years,
and females had an average of 5.4 years. Those with a college
degree had an average job tenure of less than four years, while
those without a high school degree had an average tenure of about
six years.
Workers in the mining and manufacturing sectors spent an average
of more than eight years on the job before becoming unemployed.
Workers in the retail trade and service sectors spent an average
of more than three years on the job before becoming unemployed.
Compensation
Many unemployed persons are entitled to receive weekly compensation
checks. The amount of compensation is based on a formula that
includes the person's prior employment wages and job tenure. Examining
the number of weeks a person received compensation allows us to
measure the duration of unemployment.
According to L&I data, the average rural unemployed person
received slightly less than 14 weeks of compensation and the urban
unemployed person received about 15 weeks of compensation.
Among the rural unemployed, there was no significant difference
between males and females in the number of weeks of compensation.
Both received an average of 14 weeks of compensation.
National figures
In 2000, 5.6 million Americans were unemployed. Approximately
54 percent of the unemployed were male, and 46 percent were female.
Also, nearly 57 percent of the U.S. unemployed was under 35 years
old.
Among the U.S. unemployed, 13 percent were previously employed
in the manufacturing sector.
Want more info?
For the complete fact sheet, The Rural Unemployed, call the Center
for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555 or email info@ruralpa.org.
Terms:
Unemployed: All civilian persons 16 years of
age and older who are not employed but are available for and actively
seeking work.
Unemployment rate: The ratio of unemployed people
to the civilian labor force.
Civilian Labor Force: All non-institutionalized
persons 16 years of age and older residing within a specific geographic
area, excluding members of the Armed Forces and those non-employed
persons who are not looking for work.
Rural: Using its 1990 definition, the current
definition at the time the analysis was completed, the Center
identified a county as rural if 50 percent or more of the population
was defined as rural by the U.S. Census Bureau in 1990. Counties
that were less than 50 percent rural were considered urban. Counties
were also coded according to region.
Did You Know . . .
