STATE COLLEGE — The Comfortable Valley Journey Bureau (HVAB), Discover Altoona, Huntingdon County Guests Bureau and Go to Clearfield County are collaborating to host the 2022 Mid-Atlantic Tourism Public Relations Alliance (MATPRA) Market this fall, a uncommon alternative to have interaction with journey writers from throughout the nation and spotlight the area on a broader stage.
The primary occasion shall be held Oct. 18-20 in Comfortable Valley and is predicted to welcome greater than 40 journey writers, together with greater than 50 vacation spot advertising and marketing organizations from Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic area.
The gathering may even mark the twentieth anniversary of the MATPRA, which shall be celebrated on the opening reception.
“The Mid-Atlantic Tourism Public Relations Alliance (MATPRA) is worked up to have its market in central Pennsylvania,” mentioned Matthew Scales, Chair of MATPRA. “We have now not had a market for a few years because of the pandemic, and with this being our twentieth anniversary 12 months, we sit up for bringing all of the locations and media again collectively.”
Discover Altoona Govt Director Mark Ickes mentioned that in collaboration with its three counterpart vacation spot advertising and marketing organizations, Discover Altoona is extraordinarily happy to be showcasing the central Pennsylvania area to an influential group of media professionals.
“Our workers management has been actively concerned with MATPRA all through its 20-year existence,” he mentioned. “We acknowledge the wonderful alternative to host these writers and to immerse them inside the genuine experiences that outline Altoona and Blair County. One of these promotional publicity is priceless in focusing on potential guests for the whole area!”
Every vacation spot will supply choices to journey writers for pre-Market Welcome Excursions, and choices for postMarketplace Farewell Excursions. The HVAB will host the precise Media Market occasion, the opening reception/dinner sponsored by the Pennsylvania Tourism Workplace, and a day of themed familiarization excursions all through Comfortable Valley.
“Internet hosting the MATPRA Market occasion is a good alternative to showcase the most effective of Central Pennsylvania to journey writers and different vacation spot entrepreneurs,” mentioned Matt Worth, Govt Director of the Huntingdon County Guests Bureau. “For our principally rural areas, it is a uncommon likelihood to host a big group of journey writers all at one time.”
Worth mentioned with out internet hosting Market, his company would solely be capable of host 8-10 writers this 12 months.
HVAB President and CEO Fritz Smith mentioned engagement with journey writers and influencers is a beneficial means for tourism promotion businesses to achieve new audiences of potential guests. As hosts of the premier gathering, Blair, Centre, Clearfield and Huntingdon counties will now have the complete consideration of tourism public relations professionals that may inform the area’s story.
“We sit up for placing the area’s finest foot ahead,” Smith mentioned. “That is an unbelievable alternative and an enormous endeavor. We respect the help from our respective memberships. It’s really a joint effort to place central Pennsylvania on the map as an satisfying and reasonably priced vacation spot that provides quite a lot of experiences for leisure, sports activities and enterprise vacationers.”
Go to Clearfield County Govt Director Susan Swales-Vitullo mentioned internet hosting MATPRA is an thrilling alternative for all companions.
“Go to Clearfield County could be very lucky to be a part of this occasion due to our closeness to our neighboring vacation spot advertising and marketing organizations not solely by distance, however extra importantly, due to our working relationships with them,” she mentioned. “It is a true collaborative effort to ensure that we showcase the perfect that central Pennsylvania has to supply.”
Worth mentioned collaborating with neighboring vacation spot advertising and marketing organizations to host MATPRA Market has been an important expertise.
“Hopefully, it opens the door to extra collaboration sooner or later,” he mentioned. “Guests to our areas don’t care concerning the traces on a map; they’re on the lookout for the most effective and most memorable experiences inside a brief drive of wherever they select to remain.”
Michael Chapaloney, Govt Director of the Pennsylvania Tourism Workplace, mentioned MATPRA is likely one of the premiere organizations of its type within the nation.
“We’re thrilled to welcome the Media Market to the Keystone State as soon as once more,” Chapaloney mentioned. “The locations that pulled collectively to safe Market ought to be applauded, and could have our full help to make it wonderful. We are going to go away little doubt the ‘Pursuit of Happiness’ passes by means of Pennsylvania.”
