Fall colors bring tourists to the area
BUTLER — While sweater weather was elusive until last week, fall foliage season struck Western Pennsylvania a few weeks ago.
“It’s a great time to take a hike,” said Jack Cohen, president of Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau, “and not in a negative way.”
“There’s nothing more beautiful than our community because of all these wonderful trees,” he said, “and we get to see that beauty when the colors change every year, right in our backyard.”
“While many local residents enjoy the changing colors, but the number of travelers coming into the county also spikes from September to November, according to Cohen.
Part of the spike in tourism has manifested in the form of Airbnb bookings.
According to Airbnb’s northeast press secretary, Liz DeBold Fusco, Western Pennsylvania will see the arrival of 1,120 guests between Sept. 15 and Oct. 28, which is up from 827 guests in this time frame last year.
“Travel trends are motivated by seasonal draws,” Fusco said. “Pennsylvania is unique in having a lot to offer in summer and fall.”
This is an excerpt — read the full story in Sunday’s Butler Eagle.
