Jack Cohen

Fifty years ago, I carried money in my pocket, traveled on street cars and telephones were attached to the wall. Now I carry credit cards, use Uber driverless vehicles and can access everything from my smart phone.

Thanks to artificial intelligence, people no longer have to go searching for answers, they can just ask Siri or Alexa. With the rise of technology and social media, our society and the tourism industry is evolving dramatically.

In 1968, several highways like I-279 were not even built and the Internet was nonexistent.

Most family trips were coordinated by calling the hotel only a few hours away from home; more extensive trips were booked through a travel agent.

Nowadays, planning your family vacation is easier than ever. With the advancement of technology, travel agencies are becoming fewer and purchasing your dream vacation is only a click away.

In 1968, the best form of information on a travel destination was flipping through the latest AAA Tour Book or seeing a commercial on TV. Now the tourism industry is publicized everywhere we look.

Online ads and social media platforms are some of the most effective ways to advertise and promote a destination. Smart phones allow everyone to socially share their experiences instantly.

Growth of tourismTourism is a top industry in Butler County, and the advancements have greatly enhanced our area in several ways over the last 50 years.The county is home to beautiful parks, versatile sporting venues, multifunctional event facilities, numerous hotels and more. As a result of the county’s growth, the area is constantly hosting events, festivals and tournaments generating millions of dollars benefiting the local economy — but those developments didn’t happen overnight.Moraine State Park is the county’s biggest attraction and sees more than 2 million visitors a year, but 50 years ago, this beautiful park didn’t even exist. What is now the park was once farmland, strip mines and gas and oil wells.In 1968, the dam was completed and in 1970 Lake Arthur reached its full level. The park was dedicated on May 23, 1970.Today, Moraine State Park consists of 16,725 acres of pure beauty intertwined with an abundance of outdoor activities; making it the most visited attraction in the county at any time of the year. Several major events are also hosted at the park and draw in thousands of visitors.

SportsThere are many facets to tourism, and sports is definitely one of them.Sport tourism is a fast-growing sector within the travel industry and Butler County is quickly becoming a premier sports event destination.Featuring several versatile sporting and multifunctional venues, the county hosts a variety of sporting competitions. Due to our prime location and abundance of venues, we developed the Butler County Sports Commission.The UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry Township is a large, multifunctional venue attracting thousands of visitors nationwide. The facility hosts many hockey tournaments that bring in a volume of teams, families and spectators.In an effort to welcome visitors, we created a concierge desk in the lobby of the complex to assist visitors while they are here.Cooper’s Lake, with its rolling hills and open layout, has become a recurring destination for Pittsburgh’s Tough Mudder. This two-day event brings 11,000 out-of-market visitors to the county and generates over $4 million annually with overnight stays, shopping and dining.Butler County also features a variety of championship disc golf courses at Moraine State Park, Slippery Rock University and a brand new course in Cranberry Township that will be one of the world’s longest disc golf courses.Several major disc golf tournaments have taken place, resulting in an economic impact of more than $645,000. These events continue to draw in thousands of spectators and stimulate the local economy.

Tourism bureau’s impactIn the past 50 years, our society has transformed substantially. Information is now at our fingertips, my grandson can navigate through an iPad and artificial intelligence is becoming more widespread, even in the tourism industry.We’re also seeing more travelers globally, nationally and locally. The hotel industry has also made tremendous strides as a result of the boost in tourism, and Butler County is benefiting from it.For the last 16 years, Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau has been supporting local businesses and the community through a variety of coordinated marketing efforts that promote the county as a great place to live, work and visit. We also provide grants to our members and connect them with major corporations regarding sponsorships for events.In 1968, the number of hotels in the county was minimal. Now, the county features more than 21 hotels, nine B & Bs and eight campgrounds!With the increase of visitors for major events and tournaments, the area is likely to see a rise in economic growth and development. The tourism bureau is funded by a tax on overnight stays and generates millions of dollars in revenue from visitor spending.We want our residents and visitors to know about the wonderful things our county has to offer, and the tourism bureau does just that.Every year we produce an Official Visitors Guide, which serves as an effective marketing tool along with our event calendar and social media platforms. We’re excited to market our area and look forward to seeing continued growth in Butler County.Jack Cohen is president of the Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau.