When it comes to game, players need a place to stay – Pottsville Republican Herald

Pottsville – While Schuylkill County has an abundance of leisure activities, the community leaders believe that they could do more work to expand the awareness of the available opportunities.

As mentioned in the recent economical round tables of Republican Herald, people in the area have access to a multitude of out-of-free air activities, fishing, hiking and camping and a series of state and county parks.

But officials agree that in order to bring more tour traffic in the area, communities must approach the lack of accommodation, especially luxury accommodation.

John Powers, CEO of Ash/Tech Inc., emphasized the need for accommodation options for those “who want to stay much longer” during a trip to the area.

He said that hotels are important not only for tourists, but they will better accommodate families that visit the area for events such as athletic tournaments.

“We have fantastic athletics programs in all our schools,” said Powers, “and then you have hundreds of children who get in the car with their parents and lead to these tournaments, so there are thousands of participating people.

“And everyone in the community benefits from those thousands of children there,” Powers continued. “They will go out for lunch, stay overnight, their parents go out for dinner. We send our children anywhere else for them, ”he said.

“Wouldn’t it be nice if we could do this here?” Powers said, adding: “So, even if we have the facilities for it, you can’t bring 1,000 children and their families right now. It’s nowhere. Have to leave (overnight). “

Robert S. Carl Jr., president and CEO of the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce, agreed with the need to develop larger hotels up to 100 rooms.

However, he said that there are other ways to drive traffic, such as train travel or bus trips, offered to visitors outside the area.

Reading & Northern Railroad hosts travel by the usual reading to the center of Pottsville, allowing visitors to explore the Yuengling brewery, to have lunch and visit other attractions within one after -Amie. Starting with 2023, some of these travelers coincided with the Pottsville outdoor market, owned near Union Station.

Carl also proposed to host bus trips to certain tourist attractions in the county, such as the coal mine of the pioneer tunnel and the fighter sky.

“There are a lot of places, but you have to coordinate it,” he said. “The purpose of the visitors’ office in Schuylkill County) is clearly the stay overnight. There is a multidimensional thing here that must be developed-all, from hotels to determining people to understand: “If they come, there is a whole weekend of activity here” and this must be packaged and worked. “

Samantha Chivinski, executive vice president of the camera, noted the continuous efforts of the famous outdoor readings to attract off-road riders to the companies in the local municipalities.

In recent years, communities like Minersville have been associated with FRO to host weekend events, offered to horsemen, encouraging them to go to local restaurants and support local businesses. Such initiatives have managed to support both companies and municipalities.

For example, in October 2021, Minersville organized an inaugural renown reading reading outdoors Minersville Revitalization Benefit. The receipts were subsequently used for the district revitalization efforts.

Carl emphasized the continuous need for athletic places, citing heavy activity in places such as the Memorial Hall of the Orwigsburg veterans community, as well as Alvernia University’s plans to open a Schuylkill YMCA gymnastics facility on its Pottsville Collegetowne campus.

Chivinski noted the growing popularity of Pickleball, recently citing painting lands opened at Bunker Hill Park and Playground in Pottsville.

“Go there and every yard is taken for hours,” she said.

Apart from the athletic activities, officials have highlighted other recently open leisure facilities, including The Art of Escape in Pine Grove and the place of throwing the tool of the Pottsville.

Maureen Donovan mentioned the importance of arts, given the active role of art centers in many communities. These include Tamaqua Arts Center, The Walk in Art Center in Schuylkill Haven and Schuylkill County Council for Pottsville.

In order to continue to support all these initiatives, said Carl, a concerted effort must be made to stimulate marketing and information.

“You need places to stay, but you have to lead activities and then you have to create awareness of what is here,” Carl said. “People are thrown into the air when they go to the fighter’s sky. They cannot believe it is a well -kept secret. … You really have to work on the messenger of what we have and why you should come to see it. “