Pennsylvania Agriculture, Tourism Industries Examined

Pennsylvania Agriculture, Tourism Industries Examined — Members of the House Appropriations Committee held two public hearings in Gettysburg last week to focus on two of Pennsylvania’s leading industries – agriculture and tourism, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).

The first hearing examined the impact of tourism on the state’s economy. Tourism is a $39 billion industry in Pennsylvania that generates $3.8 billion in tax revenue and supports more than 450,000 jobs.

The committee also addressed what state government can do to further leverage state tourism spending to support economic growth and development. It is estimated that for every dollar the state spends on tourism promotion, it receives a $267 return on that investment.

The second hearing focused on agriculture, the state’s top industry. With $5.7 billion in cash receipts annually from production agriculture, Pennsylvania farmers and agribusinesses are the leading economic driver in our state.

In addition to production agriculture, the industry also raises revenue and supplies jobs through support services such as food processing, marketing, transportation and farm equipment. In total, production agriculture and agribusiness contributes nearly $57 billion to Pennsylvania’s economy.

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