biographical statement

Originally a subcommittee of the Committee on Business and Commerce, the Committee on Tourism and Recreational Development became a standing House committee during the 1993-1994 Session, with Representative Ron Gamble (D) serving as its first Chairman. The current Chairman, Robert W. Godshall (R), has served on the Committee since 1995. This Committee is comprised of three subcommittees, which include Arts and Entertainment, Recreation, and Travel Promotion. The main focus of the Tourism and Recreational Development Committee is to promote tourism as a fiscally vital industry throughout the Commonwealth. The committee seeks to preserve Pennsylvania’s infrastructure; to further develop existing industry; and to improve the quality of the hotel industry, state parks, art museums, battlefields, and state forests. The majority of committee tours are centered in the greater Philadelphia and Pittsburgh areas. However, it appears that an issue of increasing interest to the committee is the funding of tourism development projects affecting rural areas of Pennsylvania. Tourism is currently the second largest industry in the Commonwealth. Due to its significant economic and social impact statewide, the Committee on Tourism and Recreational Development has sought to expand funding to include this growing industry in the state’s long-term economic scope. Statewide tourism marketing programs, renovation and expansion projects, as well as improvement and modernization of facilities, continue to be issues of the utmost importance to the committee.

Found in 15 Collections and/or Records: