Visit Bucks County hosts National Travel & Tourism Week breakfast, distributing more than $200,000 to local nonprofits
By Samantha Bambino
The Times
We’ve all heard it. The oldest phrase in the book when it comes to buying that new house or seeking a vacation destination. Location, location, location. But for Bucks County Commissioner Robert G. Loughery, this saying is far from a cliche.
“Location is Bucks County when you think about it,” he said. “It really defines who we are.”
According to Loughery, Bucks County is perfectly positioned, encompassing cultural resources like Bristol Riverside Theatre and landmarks such as Washington Crossing Historic Park. With such vast opportunities for exploration, it only makes sense for the county to be on a steady rise as one of Pennsylvania’s top tourist spots.
To raise awareness of this growth in the local tourism industry, Loughery, along with Commissioners Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia and Charles H. Martin proclaimed May 6–12 National Travel & Tourism Week in Bucks County. To celebrate and share details on how the industry is positively impacting the economy, Visit Bucks County hosted a breakfast on Tuesday, May 8, at the Hotel du Village in New Hope, which welcomed representatives from numerous local businesses and attractions.
The morning kicked off at 8:30 a.m. with a hearty breakfast of muffins, fruit and, of course, coffee. First up to the podium was VBC president Jerry Lepping, who provided his audience with some striking statistics. As reported by the U.S. Travel Association, travel generated $2.4 trillion for the U.S. economy and supported 15.6 million jobs in 2017. According to ESI, visitor spending in Bucks County generates nearly $1 billion in economic impact, $256 million in hospitality workforce earnings and supports more than 12,000 jobs locally.
“Both visitors and locals alike benefit from the development of the county’s thriving tourism industry,” Lepping said. “Direct visitor spending in Bucks County generated $599 million in 2016 alone, while leisure and hospitality employment has grown by more than 4,000 jobs over the past 10 years.”
Paul Bencivengo, vice president of VBC, then outlined how the agency has been working to further grow the tourism industry through new and creative initiatives. According to Bencivengo, VBC’s recent Wedding Show welcomed an unprecedented 1,000 attendees from Bucks County and its surrounding areas. Meanwhile, its first-ever countywide Restaurant Week, which ran April 29 through May 5, was hugely successful. Some 68 restaurants participated, with 28 signing up for OpenTable, which saw more than 1,400 reserved seats.
As for upcoming projects, VBC will host another train station pop up event. Last fall, it distributed 4,000 miniature pumpkins to early morning commuters at Secaucus Junction, spreading the word to a new population about all Bucks County has to offer. This year, Bencivengo said VBC will head to a public transportation hub in Washington, D.C., to distribute potentially thousands of ice cream sandwiches.
Next, Loughery took the stage to discuss the county government’s role in tourism.
“I hope we’re staying out of the way in places we need to,” he said.
Loughery explained the industry isn’t one that should be heavily moderated. Rather, it should be a partnership between the government and locals. For example, the new $5 vehicle registration fee residents are required to pay is being used for the much-needed repair of bridges, which are utilized every day for casual driving as well as quick emergency routes for EMS. Loughery said the government has also been taking a look at trails and the preservation of farmland.
“Fostering the growth of Bucks County’s tourism and hospitality industry relies on the continued conservation and maintenance of the area’s beautiful countryside and infrastructure,” he said. “People love Bucks County’s bucolic areas.”
After Loughery’s keynote speech, VBC recognized four individuals and an organization for the National Travel & Tourism Week Awards. The winners were Parx Casino, Community Service Award; Greg Hartley of Bristol Riverside Theatre, Guest Excellence Award; Marie Toner of Pearl S. Buck House, Hospitality Leadership Award; Kevin Kelly of Sheraton Bucks County, Rising Star Award; and Ann Lipcsey of Peddler’s Village, Dedicated Tourism Partner Award. All were nominated by their peers in the local travel industry.
The breakfast concluded with VBC distributing more than $200,000 in tourism grants to local nonprofits. Instituted 10 years ago, the grant program assists organizations in the development and enhancement of tourism product and marketing, and is supported from a portion earned from the county’s lodging tax. In total, VBC has distributed nearly $3.9 million in tourism grant funds since 2008.
Spring recipients included Bristol Cultural & Historic Foundation, Bristol Riverside Theatre, Bucks County Playhouse, Bucks County Tour of Honor, James A. Michener Art Museum, Mercer Museum, Middletown Grange Fair, New Hope Celebrates, Newtown Historic Association, Pennsbury Society — Pennsbury Manor and TMA Bucks Foundation, among several others.
For more information and news on upcoming events, go to visitbuckscounty.com. ••
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
