Visit Bucks County celebrates National Travel and Tourism week

Paul Bencivengo shares economic impact numbers.
(Courtesy of Visit Bucks County)

Visit Bucks County (VBC) recognized individuals and organizations at the National Travel & Tourism Week (NTTW) award celebration at The Inn at Fox Briar Farm on Tuesday, May 7. Honorees were nominated by their peers in the local hospitality industry. Each year, the U.S. Travel Association spearheads National Travel & Tourism Week to raise awareness of the benefits of travel to our well-being and economy.

Commissioners Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia and Robert J. Harvie presented the National Travel & Tourism Week Awards. “We are pleased to present Visit Bucks County with a proclamation recognizing May 19-25 as National Travel & Tourism Week throughout the County of Bucks’,” said Marseglia, “We thank the Visit Bucks County staff and Board of Directors and all of you for the hard work to market and support the industry.”

Each May Visit Bucks County recognizes the incredible achievements of the tourism & hospitality workforce in Bucks County by presenting employees and organizations awards in five categories.

The 2024 Visit Bucks County Travel & Tourism Week Award honorees were:

• Guest Service Excellence Award: Dennis Brislin, Sesame Place® Philadelphia: This award goes to a frontline staff member with a positive attitude who is willing to go the extra mile to help visitors and interact with customers on a daily basis.
• Hospitality Leadership Award: Alicia Singh, Holiday Inn Express Bensalem: This award honors an individual who has made significant contributions to the tourism and hospitality industry, ultimately increasing visitation to Bucks County.
• Rising Star Award: Ahmani Taylor, Hiltons of Warrington: This award is presented to a young professional aspiring to a long career in the tourism and hospitality industry.
• Tourism Innovation Award: Christopher Marano, Bucks County Joyrides: This award honors a business/organization who implements new and creative ways to bring visitors to Bucks County.
• Visit Bucks County Award: Justin Seery, Peddler’s Village; Jennifer Martin, Washington Crossing Historic Park and Ryan Seiz and Tim Tabor, Warwick Farm Brewing.

These awards honor individuals who are dedicated to promoting tourism and hospitality in Bucks County.

During the event, Visit Bucks County President/COO Paul Bencivengo shared key tourism statistics that highlighted industry growth last year. “In 2023, Bucks County welcomed 8.2 million visitors. This was a 2.5% increase over visitation in 2022. Those 8.2 million visitors generated 1.2 billion in economic impact which represents a 2.2% increase over 2022. In 2023, the total hospitality workforce also grew to 28,675 jobs.” said Bencivengo.

Growth in visitation also continued into quarter one of 2024. Bucks County has achieved an average increase of +3.5% in lodging occupancy as compared to the same period in 2023. This significant upward trend in lodging occupancy in 2024 is happening as lodging room rates have softened, making it more affordable to stay overnight in Bucks County.

VBC Board Chair Doug Miller.
(Courtesy of Visit Bucks County)Bencivengo shared that VisitBucksCounty.com saw record traffic last year with more than 5 million pageviews to the site and more than 406 million impressions across digital and social media channels. “We attribute this record engagement to our focus on quality content creation. Our short-term video content performs extremely well across all demographics.”

“Visit Bucks County also has brand campaigns currently in-market with static and digital billboards in New York and Northern New Jersey markets,” said Bencivengo. “Broadcast and streaming commercials will also enter the market this month and will run through July attracting visitors to the area.”

Visit Bucks County promotes Bucks County for visitors to explore the trails, plan outdoor adventure, family-friendly getaways, romantic escapes and to visit the many towns and attractions throughout all the seasons.

— Courtesy of Visit Bucks County