Newport Borough Council approved a motion in support of the creation of the Perry County Economic Alliance (PCEA) to promote tourism.
Richard Pluta, who is on the Perry County Economic Development Authority, explained that Perry County handed off its tourism promotion to Dauphin County’s Visit Hershey and Harrisburg operation in 1991, but now wants to bring the role in-house. He emphasized the marginal amount of promotion Dauphin County dedicates to Perry County in its materials which focus largely on Hershey and Harrisburg attractions. He noted Perry County’s assets are different and need a different approach.
Pluta said if established, the PCEA plans on implementing a hotel/lodging tax of 5 percent. He stated that Perry is the only county in the state that doesn’t currently collect a hotel tax and if it enacted one now, it would go to Dauphin County due to the agreement. He said $1.9 million is spent on lodging in the county, meaning a 5-percent tax would bring in roughly $90,000 annually. He pointed out that the tax would largely be paid by non-Perry County residents. The tax also would potentially open up grant opportunities to the county…