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The Economy's Impact on Pocono Tourism in 2008

The Economy's Impact on Pocono Tourism in 2008 - Monday, January 5, 2009 at 4:14PM EST

Reported by: Laurie Monteforte
Monday, Jan 5, 2009 @ 04:14pm EST
SHAWNEE ON DELAWARE - Tourism is the most valuable industry in the Poconos. It provides thousands of jobs and millions of dollars to the region. Eyewitness News wanted to find out if the economy impacted the business in 2008.

Eyewitness News met Gianna Albin just before she took her first snowboarding lesson at Shawnee Mountain. Her dad could have strapped her boots on at any ski mountain but the family picked Shawnee because it's close to their home in New Jersey.

Her mother Donna said, "It's very close to home. We're about an hour and 15 minutes away."

The Albins run a restaurant business and as people cut back on eating out, they had to adjust their budget. However, they weren't willing to sacrifice a vacation. "We love to ski and it's very reasonable here," said Donna.

Shawnee managers said families like the Albin's made 2008 not just a good year but a very good year.

It's a similar story story just down the street at the Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort. "Guests are now going to be really thinking about how they spend their dollars and we have to be taking care of them the best we can.," said Inn Manager Rob Howell.

He said the hotel invested in upgrades like a spa, and new amenities in rooms.

"It's really a gorgeous place," said Louis Santiago from Philadelphia. He and Carlos Rodriguez came to Shawnee from Philadelphia.

Rodriguez said, "It made a lot of difference for the simple fact of traveling time." They liked the short drive to the resort and the short drive to nearby attractions.

"There's a lot of accommodations that are almost like a village within itself that are close by," said Rodriguez.

With all those stories it looks like the tough economy took a vacation with the Poconos Tourism Industry.

Tourism officials say 2008 was better than 2007 in almost all categories and they anticipate things will be even better in 2009. Early snow and cold weather helped ski season start earlier than usual.
 


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