The Montgomery County Commissioners received an update on the Montco204o comprehensive plan and the progress that’s been made at a recent regular meeting and along with that update the Valley forge Tourism and Convention Board presented a report on the economic impact of toursim in Montco.
The Montco 2040 update was presented by Montgomery County Planning Commission Executive Director Jody Holton, writes Oscar Gamble in The Pottstown Mercury.
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VFTCB President and CEO Mike Bowman touted the $1.6 billion a year economic impact and more than 20,000 jobs associated with tourism in Montgomery County.
Executive Director of Administration Jake Markezin updated the commissioners on the board’s three-year strategic plan, now in development with Destination NEXT, which provides tourism and destination strategies for locales throughout the country and abroad.
Markezin also unveiled the board’s new mission statement: “Inspiring the world to fall in love with Montgomery County,” and its new vision statement: “A must-experience destination, rooted in the past and leading the future.”
In addition, he announced that the VFTCB has become the only destination marketing organization in the Philadelphia suburbs to attain accreditation from Destinations International, which represents DMOs and conventions visitors bureaus worldwide.
Other aspects of the presentation focused on the increase in room night bookings in the county, up from 97,500 in fiscal year 2015 to 132,000 last year. And the success of corporate, sports, life-sciences, wedding and convention marketing, advertising and branding campaigns.
International marketing initiatives, especially to Chinese destination seekers, were also discussed as well as the Arts Montco advisory committee which will be working to continue to bring top-notch arts and entertainment to Montgomery County, including a performance by the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside in March.
For information on upcoming events, visit www.valleyforge.org.
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