VisitPITTSBURGH has announced a new 10-year tourism development plan, aimed at significantly increasing its annual inbound tourist visitor numbers.
“Today marks the official release of a year’s worth of data collection, research and stakeholder engagement,” said Jerad Bachar, President & CEO of VisitPITTSBURGH. “This plan was thoughtfully developed to identify strategies that will propel the tourism industry forward, while focusing on our mission to drive visitation and overall economic impact across the destination.”
The 10-year development plan includes more than 40 strategies and 80 unique action items that together form a roadmap for the development, management and marketing of tourism assets in both the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. The plan is designed with the overall visitor experience in mind, while also identifying ways to enhance the quality of life for residents and those within the local hospitality workforce.
“We all know that Pittsburgh is a great place to call home, but now it’s time to focus on how we can work together to grow and attract more visitors,” said Mayor Ed Gainey. “I applaud the VisitPITTSBURGH team for leading the charge and developing a plan that embraces and celebrates the rich cultural diversity that makes our city great. This new plan will shine a new light on our rich cultural history as we continue our work on making Pittsburgh the most welcoming city in America.”
The Tourism Development Plan is divided into three strategic areas:
- Experiences – Strategies to expand and diversify the range of assets and attractions for visitors—from accommodations to culinary, arts, culture, heritage, shopping and outdoor adventures
- Connectivity – Strategies to improve access across the destination by exploring a range of broadened transportation modes
- Industry – Strategies to enhance tourism and hospitality business performance, employee attraction and retention and tourism development plan governance
“The Tourism Development Plan is truly all-encompassing and provides unique action items to tackle each of these important areas from the ground up,” said Michele Meloy Burchfield, Chair of the VisitPITTSBURGH Board of Directors. “The VisitPITTSBURGH team looked holistically at Pittsburgh as a destination and included thoughtful ways we can improve our experiences for visitors, while also enhancing our infrastructure and supporting our hospitality workforce.”
Of Pittsburgh’s 90 distinct neighbourhoods, only 10% are popular visitor destinations anchored by major sports stadiums, museums and cultural institutions, parks and universities. The Experiences section of the plan is designed to better position and promote the city of multitudes and enhance its in-market experience for both residents and visitors alike.
