New businesses along Great Allegheny Passage trail

An estimated 800,000 trips are taken annually on the Great Allegheny Passage, a 141-mile system of biking and hiking trails from Cumberland, MD to Homestead, PA:

* Annual direct spending attributed to trail users was $40.8 million in 2008, up from $7.26 million in 2002.
* Total annual wages attributed to trail user spending: $7.5 million.
* Since 2007, 93 new trail-related businesses opened in the Trail Towns while 19 businesses closed, for a net gain of 47 new businesses.
* 77% of businesses opened since 2007 remain in operation.
* Business owners attribute 25% of revenues to their proximity to the trail.

Read more at: http://www.americantrails.org/resources/economics/Trail-Towns-Great-Allegheny-Passage-tourism.html