What Laurel Highlands does

Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau, operating as GO Laurel Highlands, is a non-profit Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) founded in 1957 in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, tasked with promoting tourism across Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties (3,000 square miles) in southwestern Pennsylvania. It serves three primary constituencies: leisure travelers seeking outdoor recreation, family activities, and cultural/heritage experiences; meeting planners, wedding couples, and group tour operators organizing regional events; and local tourism marketing partners (resorts, attractions, restaurants, and small businesses) who advertise through the DMO's channels. The organization operates a portfolio of products rather than a single platform: a free annual Destination Guide and Calendar of Events, a mobile application built in partnership with Local Explorers (featuring self-guided trails such as the Coffee Club Trail and the Pour Tour craft beverage passport), themed itineraries like the Fred Rogers Trail, an annual photo contest, a Tourism Grant Program, and Film Location Services delivered in coordination with the Pittsburgh Film Office.

Revenue mechanics are anchored by annual Marketing Partnership Program renewals (with a 6/30 inclusion deadline for the Destination Guide), advertising sales across website, email newsletter, and social channels, and a Tourism Grant Program flowing funds back into the three-county partner base. Visitor-facing materials are free, with a freemium-style pricing structure where the consumer pays nothing and the partner network subsidizes distribution through advertising and promotional spend. Distribution combines a physical Visitors Center in Ligonier, a comprehensive website, the mobile app, and a partner business network that distributes printed materials and runs co-branded campaigns.

The underlying technology stack is light: a destination marketing mobile app built on a partnership with Local Explorers (a third-party mobile solutions provider for DMOs), a CMS-driven website, and standard digital marketing channels. There is no disclosed AI capability, API platform, or proprietary software product; the portfolio functions as a coordinated destination marketing platform rather than a unified software offering. Strategic positioning relies on regulatory DMO status (with county commissioner appointments), long-standing brand recognition (67 years of operation, repeated USA Today 10Best recognition), geographic proximity to four major Northeast/Mid-Atlantic metros, and a deeply embedded partner ecosystem.

Name

Laurel Highlands

Legal name

Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau

Website

https://golaurelhighlands.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau (GO Laurel Highlands) is a non-profit Destination Marketing Organization founded in 1957 that promotes tourism across Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties in southwestern Pennsylvania through a free Destination Guide, mobile app trails, themed itineraries, and partner marketing services for local businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing / Tourism Promotion

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers) (THAAAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recreation & Activity Services (Hiking, Boating, Climbing, Fishing—Guided/Authorized) (THAAAGAF), Scenic Lookouts & Natural Landmarks (Waterfalls, Canyons, Rock Formations) (THAJACAD)

Keywords

• Destination marketing organization
• Tourism promotion services
• Visitor bureau services
• Regional travel marketing
• Tourism partnership programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Ligonier

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tourism Marketing Partnerships: GO Laurel Highlands generates revenue through tourism marketing partnerships with local businesses. Partners pay for advertising opportunities, marketing visibility, and promotional services within the DMO's campaigns targeting the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau (operating as GO Laurel Highlands) is a non-profit Destination Marketing Organization that promotes tourism for southwestern Pennsylvania's Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties. The organization sells and distributes a portfolio of destination marketing products including the annual Destination Guide, the Pour Tour craft beverage passport program, the Coffee Club Trail mobile app experience, the Fred Rogers Trail themed driving itinerary, an annual photo contest, film location services, and a Marketing Partnership Program through which local tourism businesses pay for advertising and promotional visibility.

Product overview

GO Laurel Highlands operates as a destination marketing organization (DMO) promoting tourism in Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties in southwestern Pennsylvania. The organization offers a portfolio of travel-related products and programs including: a yearly Destination Guide publication; the Pour Tour craft beverage passport (v6.0); the Coffee Club Trail mobile app feature with check-in prize entries; an Annual Photo Contest with cash prizes; the Fred Rogers Trail themed itinerary; and various themed trails such as America 250. Additional offerings include a Tourism Grant Program, Marketing Partnership Program for local businesses, Film Location Services, a Calendar of Events, and an SGO LH Coupon Book. The organization's digital presence includes a mobile application and comprehensive website providing trip planning resources, event listings, and visitor information. The portfolio operates as a coordinated destination marketing platform rather than a unified software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Destination Guide Free yearly travel guide covering attractions, lodging, dining, and events across Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties in Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands region. Requested by visitors free of charge.
• Coffee Club Trail Self-guided mobile app feature providing a tour of local coffee houses and cafes with venue details, navigation, check-in functionality, and prize entries for participants visiting each location.
• Pour Tour Craft beverage passport program featuring breweries, wineries, distilleries, cideries and meaderies across the Laurel Highlands, currently in version 6.0. Participants visit partner venues and check in via passport.
• Annual Photo Contest Annual photography competition with cash prizes ($500 first, $200 second, $100 third) across three categories: Nature, Landscapes and Cityscapes, and Attractions and Experiences. Winning photos are featured in publications and social media.
• Fred Rogers Trail Self-guided driving excursion through Latrobe celebrating Fred Rogers' legacy, including museums, the Fred Rogers Center at Saint Vincent College, statue memorials, historic church, and Unity Cemetery.
• Tourism Grant Program Grant program for Westmoreland, Somerset, and Fayette counties designed to increase tourism promotion and economic development in the region.
• Marketing Partnership Program Tourism marketing partnership program allowing businesses to advertise through GO Laurel Highlands' destination marketing campaigns including the annual Destination Guide, website ads, and social media. Partnership renewal deadline is 6/30 for inclusion in the annual Destination Guide.
• Film Location Services Filming location coordination and permits for movie, television, and commercial productions in the Laurel Highlands region, working in coordination with the Pittsburgh Film Office (PFO).
• GO Laurel Highlands Mobile App Mobile application providing trip planning, destination information, event listings, and features like Coffee Club check-ins and navigation to attractions across the three-county region.
• Calendar of Events Seasonal event calendar listing festivals, concerts, farmers markets, and activities across the three-county region of the Laurel Highlands.
• SGO LH Coupon Book Coupon book featuring discounts and special offers from local tourism partners throughout the Laurel Highlands.

Quantifiable outcome

• Millions of visitors welcomed annually to the region
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Local ExplorerscoreTechnology or Integration · 3 February 2026Local Explorers is a creator of mobile solutions for destination marketing organizations. They have expanded their partnership with GO Laurel Highlands to add a Coffee Club Trail feature to their existing mobile app. The feature provides users with a self-guided tour of a dozen local coffee houses and cafes, including venue details and navigation capabilities.
• Pittsburgh Film OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Pittsburgh Film Office (PFO) is the go-to resource for productions in the greater southwestern Pennsylvania region. Since 1990, the PFO has assisted more than 135 feature films and television productions in southwestern Pennsylvania. GO Laurel Highlands staff work with PFO to ensure film productions in the region are successful.
• Douglas Education CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDouglas Education Center houses one of the area's largest soundstages with green screen, infinity wall, editing suites, and sound mixing studio. The center offers Tom Savini Special Make-Up Effects Program and George A. Romero Filmmaking Program. GO Laurel Highlands promotes the center as a resource for film productions.
• Visit PAcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGO Laurel Highlands partnered with Visit PA to create The Fred Rogers Trail, a driving trail through Pennsylvania highlighting Fred Rogers-related attractions.
• Tourism Marketing PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGO Laurel Highlands has a network of tourism marketing partners across Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties. Partners include local businesses, attractions, resorts, and hospitality providers who advertise through GO Laurel Highlands marketing channels. Partnership renewal deadline is 6/30 for inclusion in the annual Destination Guide.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Simpleview: A leading technology and CRM provider that powers the digital presence, content management systems, and partner advertising platforms for many U.S. DMOs, including assets visible on the Laurel Highlands site. Ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor because it sells enabling tools to DMOs like Laurel Highlands.

Direct peers

• Visit PA: Pennsylvania's statewide Destination Marketing Organization, marketing the Commonwealth to leisure and group travel markets. Direct peer because both operate as DMOs promoting PA tourism, and Visit PA is already an active partner via the Fred Rogers Trail.
• Visit Pittsburgh: City-level DMO promoting Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. Direct peer because both target overlapping Northeast/Mid-Atlantic feeder audiences, run partnership-based revenue models, and compete for the same regional visitor within 200 miles of Pittsburgh.

Regional players

• Tourism Ohio: Statewide DMO for Ohio, anchored in the same Great Lakes / Mid-Atlantic region. Regional peer because it competes for Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Mid-Atlantic leisure visitors but operates primarily within a different state.

Broad incumbents

• Destination DC: The DMO for Washington, D.C., one of the four major metros within Laurel Highlands' 200-mile radius. Broad incumbent because both market Northeast/Mid-Atlantic leisure travel and compete for the same D.C.-origin feeder visitors.
• Visit Orlando: One of the largest U.S. DMOs by budget, marketing Orlando as a leisure and meetings destination. Broad incumbent because it runs the same partnership-funded, content-driven DMO model, but at significantly larger scale and visitor volume.
• Visit Philadelphia: City-level DMO for Philadelphia, a major Mid-Atlantic destination within the same 200-mile feeder ring. Broad incumbent because both promote PA destinations with overlapping audiences but Philadelphia operates at significantly larger scale and budget.
• Pure Michigan: Michigan's statewide tourism marketing DMO, known for its national-scale destination campaigns. Broad incumbent because it operates the same DMO model at a larger scale and competes for Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes leisure travelers.
• Choose Chicago: City-level DMO for Chicago, marketing group and leisure travel to a major Midwest metro. Broad incumbent because both run convention/meetings and leisure marketing with partner networks, though at larger scale and budget.
• Brand USA: The national Destination Marketing Organization for the United States, responsible for international and domestic promotion of U.S. travel. Broad incumbent because both operate public-private tourism marketing partnerships at multiple levels of geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/laurelhighlands
• Facebookfacebook.com/laurelhighlandsPA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/laurel-highlands-visitors-bureau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Laurel Highlands