Bristol Borough to Benefit from Massive Marketing Effort

Historic Bristol Borough will get some help advertising all the town has to offer to tourist starting this summer.

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, also known as Visit Philly, announced a new marketing effort, entitled Towns of the Philadelphia Countryside, on Friday in Doylestown. As part of the regional effort, 15 towns throughout Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties are featured. In Bucks County, Bristol, Doylestown and New Hope are targeted.

The campaign encourages both locals and out-of-town tourists to explore the historic communities, museums, diverse restaurants, wineries and breweries, independent shops, concerts and festivals, natural beauty and main streets in the 15 towns.

Visit Philly officials said they will market the suburban towns via visitphilly.com/towns along with social media and the hashtag #phillytowns. An advertising campaign featuring colorful photos of the communities has already begun to roll out across the East Coast, including New York City. A partnership with car sharing service Zipcar will also market the towns via print materials and gift bags.

Bill Pezza, the leader of Bristol’s Economic Development Committee, also known as Bristol Borough: Raising the Bar, said there’s a lot going on in the town for tourists to see. He said proximity to major highways and rail service should appeal to tourists who start out in Philadelphia.

“It’s all coming together in the right way at the right time,” Pezza said.

Pezza and Raising the Bar treasurer Ron McGuckin both touted Bristol’s diversity and variety of places for tourists and locals to visit. McGuckin teased that a phone app will allow visitors to take a tour of the town’s historical sites.Both men also spoke of the floating docks planned for at the end of Mill Street.

Project director Alicia Quinn said the towns were chosen based on active main streets, accessibility, festivals, events, historical significance and outdoor experiences.

Visit Philly worked with their partner, Visit Bucks County, to narrow down the three communities. Visit Bucks County has worked for years to promote the county’s $870 million tourist industry that employs thousands.

The campaign is a public-private partnership, with support from the state government.

“Promoting the breadth of offerings in the five-county region has always been an important part of the marketing work we do,” said Meryl Levitz, president and CEO of Visit Philly. “The grant we received from the state enables us to focus more resources on promoting the towns, encouraging people to extend their stay, return for another visit and go beyond the familiar Philadelphia experiences to explore the region a little deeper.”

Levitz said research by Visit Philly showed the Philadelphia countryside is as much of a draw for visitors as the big city.

Out of the three towns focused on in Bucks County, Bristol Borough has the most to gain, officials said.

Bristol Borough: Raising the Bar has worked on many efforts over the past year to spruce up the borough. Recently, the group received a $10,000 donation following a fundraiser, sold bricks for the Mill Street entrance and continues to plan for a culture center.

“Our history is solid and our future is bright,” McGuckin said following the announcement.