Luzerne County’s tourism office — Visit Luzerne County — has started selling memorabilia.
“The fact is there aren’t too many places — if any at all — in the entire county where people can buy such things,” Visit Luzerne County Executive Director Alan K. Stout said in a Friday announcement. “We feel they’ll be an attractive product for not only people that visit Luzerne County, but also for local residents. And we’re so happy to have them available for purchase in time for the holidays.”
Stout said the suggestion to create a tourism store came from county Manager Romilda Crocamo and Administrative Services Division Head Jennifer Pecora.
The initial collection of products includes T-shirts, coffee mugs, tumblers, golf balls and shot glasses.
Starting Monday, products can be purchased at the Visit Luzerne County office inside the historic train station at the corner of Market Street and Wilkes-Barre Boulevard in Wilkes-Barre, which has an address of 200 Old Train Station Road. Purchases must be made through a card because cash won’t be accepted.
The office is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., although Stout noted it will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday in observance of those county government holidays.
Eventually the county may explore an online purchase option.
For now, there are five choices for T-shirts featuring the following: Wilkes-Barre (Market Street Bridge); Hazleton (historic former Hazleton High School known as “the castle”); Pittston (a tomato and the Firefighters’ Memorial/Water Street Bridge); Ricketts Glen State Park in Fairmount Township; and White Haven (a fisherman).
The coffee mugs and tumblers feature the historic train station and the Visit Luzerne County logo. The shot glasses and golf balls feature the Luzerne County seal.
More products will be added, including baseball hats and T-shirts featuring other county communities throughout the county, Stout said.
“We serve all of Luzerne County, and we strive to serve and represent every corner of the county,” Stout said.
A display case photograph lists the following prices: T-shirts, $15; tumblers, $16.50; golf balls, $28 for a set of three; coffee mugs, $21.50; and shot glasses, $5.75.
Stout said the county kept the mark-up low so the products would be affordable and accessible to both residents and visitors.
Any proceeds will remain with the office to fund tourism programs, he said. As a reminder, the tourism office does not receive funding from the county’s general fund operating budget and is covered by memberships and hotel tax revenue.
Stout also hopes the store will increase visitors to the office.
“This is just another great reason for people to stop in to see us at the train station,” he said in the announcement. “Not only do we provide an incredible amount of information on all of the fun things to see and do here in Luzerne County and throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania, but now, if you’re so inclined, you can also pick up a souvenir.”
Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.