2026 PGA Championship Helps Show the World Why Pennsylvania is the Best Place to Visit and Do Business

Under Governor Josh Shapiro’s leadership, Visit PA and BusinessPA are leveraging the 108th PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club to promote Pennsylvania as The Great American Getaway for visitors and one of the best states for businesses looking to grow and succeed.

The Commonwealth is the center of America’s biggest moments this year, hosting world-class sports, culture, and national celebration events including the PGA Championship, the FIFA World Cup, America250PA, the MLB All-Star Game, NFL Draft, and more — all of which will bring an influx of visitors and drive hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity.

Harrisburg, PA – This week, the Shapiro Administration is leveraging the international spotlight that’s on the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club to promote Pennsylvania to visitors and growing businesses from around the world.

The 108th PGA Championship, hosted by Aronimink in Newtown Square for the first time in more than 60 years, is expected to bring around 200,000 fans to Delaware County.

The Shapiro Administration invested $2.4 million to support the success of the 2026 PGA Championship including $1.5 million through the Sports Marketing and Tourism Account Program (SMAT) and $900,000 through the 2026 Marquis Events Program.

“We’re taking full advantage of another major event happening here in Pennsylvania to highlight our appeal to visitors and businesses alike,” said Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger. “Since taking office, the Shapiro Administration has rebranded Pennsylvania as The Great American Getaway and grown our tourism industry by $7 billion and 30,000 jobs. We’ve also attracted more than $41 billion in private-sector investment that is creating nearly 23,000 good-paying jobs. We are thrilled to share everything that Pennsylvania has to offer to visitors and companies from around the world.”

Pennsylvania, The Great American Getaway

During this week’s PGA events, Visit PA, the official tourism resource of the Shapiro Administration, is promoting Southeastern Pennsylvania to journalists and content creators during a tour of Delaware County — stopping at Cobbs Creek Golf Course, Chanticleer Gardens, and various local businesses and restaurants. Some members of Pennsylvania’s official 2026 welcome committee, the Visit PA Playmakers, were also at Aronimink Golf Club to meet guests.

Pennsylvania recently ranked as a top state for economic impact generated by sports tourism, with the Commonwealth landing in the top five twice in a new national report by Sports ETA that provided the first-ever unified analysis of both participatory and spectator sports tourism. Participatory sporting events include youth and amateur tournaments, races, etc., while spectator sports include attendees of professional, minor league, and collegiate sporting events.

In 2024, tourism brought in $84 billion to Pennsylvania’s economy and supported more than half a million jobs. To build on that momentum and prepare for America’s 250th anniversary, the Shapiro Administration secured $57.5 million in the last two budgets specifically for the 2026 celebration. The Governor’s 2026-2027 proposed budget continues to fully fund the Tourism Office to ensure that Pennsylvania obtains the maximum benefit from the events celebrating America’s 250th anniversary.

This year, Pennsylvania takes center stage for several of the nation’s most high-profile sporting and cultural events, from the PGA Championship to FIFA World Cup 26™, America250PA, the MLB All-Star Game, NFL Draft, and more — bringing world-class moments to cities and towns across the state.

Pennsylvania Gets It Done

Governor Shapiro’s BusinessPA team — an experienced group of economic development professionals dedicated to helping businesses succeed in the Commonwealth ― are also hosting business leaders during the PGA Championship to showcase the benefits of growing in Pennsylvania. Leaders across various industries including manufacturing, life sciences, and energy will have a chance to connect and hear first-hand the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to supporting businesses, workers, and growing the economy.

Since taking office, Governor Shapiro has focused on making the Commonwealth an economic powerhouse and it’s working — Pennsylvania is on the rise:

The BusinessPA team has worked with companies in every corner of the Commonwealth, helping them expand and create real opportunities for Pennsylvanians — from TerraPower Isotopes in Philadelphia, WebFX in Harrisburg, Mondi Bags in Allegheny County, Premier Brands of America in Lackawanna County, John Brothers Holdings in Union County, Schreiber Foods in Cumberland County, Johnson & Johnson in Montgomery County, Eli Lilly in Lehigh County, Nichols Portland in Elk County, to Qualex in Venango County, and many more.

To learn more about traveling to Pennsylvania, go to Visitpa website and follow along on social media with @visitpa, #VisitPA, and #PAGetaway.

For more information about the Department of Community and Economic Development, visit DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency news on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Justin Backover, dcedpress@pa.gov

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