Public Invited to Join PennDOT Welcome Centers in Celebrating National Travel and Tourism Week

Public Invited to Join PennDOT Welcome Centers in Celebrating National
Travel and Tourism Week

5/26/2016-HARRISBURG

Pennsylvania's 14 Welcome Centers, which are managed by PennDOT, will
conduct
special programs and promotions to mark National Travel and Tourism Week
from
May 1-7.

"Pennsylvania Welcome Centers serve as attractive gateways to our visitors,
and
their staffs will work with local visitors bureaus and other tourism
industry
members to help promote this special week," said PennDOT Secretary Leslie
S.
Richards. "The events will spotlight local attractions and demonstrate why
tourism is one of Pennsylvania's top industries."

In many cases, Welcome Centers provide the first impression of Pennsylvania
to
out-of-state visitors. Each Welcome Center is a complete travel resource
center
for motorists, offering many free tourism services, such as lodging and
restaurant reservations. In 2015, Pennsylvania Welcome Centers served more
than
3.3 million customers and assisted over 17,000 travelers with lodging
reservations.

"During National Travel and Tourism Week, Welcome Centers spotlight
attractions
from the most popular to 'hidden gems' that make Pennsylvania such a great
place to visit and explore," said Richards. "From Trolley Museum displays
in
Greene County to Smokey the Bear in Fulton County, Welcome Center visitors
will
be able to learn more about tourism hot spots across Pennsylvania."

In addition, Richards noted that visitors will also have the opportunity to

receive free promotional items from state tourism partners and to learn
about
various products made in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania's Welcome Centers are open 24 hours a day, and tourism staff
is
available at most locations from 7 AM to 7 PM, seven days a week, including

most holidays.

Pennsylvania's 14 Welcome Centers are at key border locations, including:

• I-90 West, one-half mile past the Pennsylvania/New York border in North
East,
Erie County;
• I-80 East, about one-half mile past the Pennsylvania/Ohio border in West
Middlesex, Mercer 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; and
• I-276 West on PA Turnpike, Milepost 328.4, King of Prussia, Montgomery
County.

The Welcome Center features and National Travel and Tourism Week are
additional
ways that visitors are encouraged to "Pursue Your Happiness." The new state

slogan, unveiled in March by the Pennsylvania Tourism Office and
Pennsylvania
Tourism Partnership, captures the spirit of the Keystone State, echoing the

famous call to "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" that began with
our
nation's Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia in 1776.

For more information on Pennsylvania's Welcome Centers visit the "Travel In
PA"
section of www.penndot.gov. Additional information on tourism and travel in
the
state is available at www.visitPA.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: Rich Kirkpatrick or Erin Waters-Trasatt, 717-783-8800


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