PHOTO PROVIDED The Clinton County Visitors Bureau is going into 2025 strong following an increase in tourism dollars.

LOCK HAVEN — Tourism is thriving as the Clinton County Visitors Bureau — and many businesses, organizations, municipalities and businesses — work to ensure the county is a year round destination.

The visitors bureau serves as an extension of the Clinton County Economic Partnership and has seen changes within the last year under the direction of Tourism Director Kira Rosamilia.

According to Rosamilia, the county saw an increase each quarter of 2024 in its hotel tax revenue. This revenue is used as a gauge for how many visitors stay in the county within a year.

“Every quarter it went up, which is really good,” Rosamilia said.

For example, quarter two hotel tax income went up $40,921 from 2023 to 2024.

LAURA JAMESON/THE EXPRESS The Inaugural Pennsylvania Chestnut Festival, held in Castanea Township, is one of many unique events held within Clinton County each year.

Rosamilia attributes this continued growth in tourism to a variety of factors. This includes the launch of the bureau’s new website — www.exploreclintoncountypa.com — which went live in 2023.

Among the many new attributes to the website is the ability for local businesses to add events to its calendar and update information about their business on the site.

“If you own a tourism business and haven’t gotten a hold of us you can still do that,” Rosamilia noted.

A key part of the increase in tourism, as the visitors bureau works to increase traffic to the county throughout the year regardless of the season, is due to partnerships within the community.

“I think all around everyone is helping with the initiative,” Rosamilia said.

PHOTO PROVIDED A Kettle Creek elk is pictured in this photo taken by Chris Calhoun, which was featured on the Clinton County Visitor Bureau’s 2024 Puzzle. The elk, located in Western Clinton County, are one of many outdoor attractions that can draw people into the area.

She noted many businesses have begun to partner with hotels or local restaurants; local governments are creating new tourism attractions and much more.

“We’re all working towards the same goal of making Clinton County an all season destination,” Rosamilia said. “Whether it’s promoting outdoor recreation, partnerships between groups to promote events and more.”

She further noted many local short term rentals have begun to offer unique stays within Clinton County. This includes rentals that feature pickleball and bocce courts, various amenities and unique buildings such as the caboose in Castanea Township.

Many businesses also have tailored their inventory and offerings toward specific recreational opportunities in the county. This includes ATV rentals in Western Clinton County.

Rosamilia noted there are other upcoming initiatives within the community which will be a boost for tourism. This includes the continued work on the Robbie Gould Sports Complex in Castanea Township.

HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS Dripped on the Road muralist Humble looks over his work on the side of M&J Supply in downtown Lock Haven. This mural is just one of many which will be part of a county-wide mural tour.

“That’ll bring in a lot of people from the area, many of whom can stay in local hotels and short term rentals during visits,” Rosamilia noted.

On the visitor bureau’s side of things, Rosamilia said they’re utilizing a variety of methods to market the county and all it has to offer.

New methods include:

— Using targeted advertising online through Google and on social media.

— Publishing ads both in print and online through large-scale magazines such as Go Magazine. Rosamilia said that particular magazine is part of USA today and has both a print and digital edition.

PHOTOS PROVIDED Clinton County offers a variety of unique short term stays including Pickleball Haven, a two story building near Lock Haven that features pickleball courts, multiple themed bedrooms and more.

— Tracking trends through Placer AI to understand where visitors are staying, what they’re doing and how they’re spending time within Clinton County.

“We’re using our marketing dollars effectively,” she said. “Tourism is technically classified as anyone living beyond a 50-mile radius of the area.”

Rosamilia said the visitors bureau has worked to keep marketing outside of that radius while still offering opportunities for local residents to know what’s happening within the county.

She noted this effort is reflective of Visit PA’s overarching goal since its rebrand in 2024.

“Their goal is to have tourism split between 70 percent border state and 30 percent Pennsylvania residents,” she said, adding the current configuration is flipped.

PHOTOS PROVIDED Those looking for a rustic getaway can do so by staying at Whitetail Lodge, a 10-room short term rental in Western Clinton County.

Rosamilia hopes to also mirror this idea and bring in more outside visitors to Clinton County while also ensuring local residents are still visiting new and interesting parts of the area.

This includes events such as Wine in the Wilds and the new Pennsylvania Chestnut Festival; stopping by local museums such as the Piper Museum or Heisey House — she noted the museums are working on creating audio tours; and continued work on the new mural tour.

The mural tour is a project that began a few years prior and, Rosamilia said, will ultimately include stops throughout the county.

She noted the City of Lock Haven, under the direction of City Planner Abbey Roberts, was able to complete a special mural project — with four new murals placed throughout the city in 2024 — that contributes to that overall goal.

Local residents can keep an eye out for the 2025 Visitors Guide to keep up-to-date with events and other attractions within the county.

Rosamilia said the guide is currently being printed by Reese’s Print Shop and will be available at the visitor bureau’s office, 212 N. Jay St., Lock Haven, and at various other locations throughout the county.

Clinton County Visitors Bureau

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212 N. Jay St.,

Lock Haven, PA 17745

www.exploreclintoncountypa.com / 570-748-5782