Bucks County Tourism Industry Jumping Back To Life

Bucks County’s important tourism industry is rebounding after a 2020 impacted by COVID-19.

Visit Bucks County, the tourism agency for the county, held their annual meeting last Thursday at the River House at Odette’s in New Hope Borough. The audience was made up of business people involved in the tourism industry, government officials, and others tied to the industry.

Paul Bencivengo, the president and chief operating officer of Visit Bucks County, said tourism in 2020 was down 23 percent from the 8.29 million visitors that came in 2019. The 2019 financial impact of the tourism industry was more than $1 billion.

Data from Visit Bucks County showed overnight visitor numbers were down in 2020 from 2019, but the number of those taking a daytrip increased.

In 2021 as vaccinations have eased regional COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths, tourism is rebounding in Bucks County.

The average daily hotel room rate and revenue per available room rebounded this year from 2020’s lows and both were up 3 percent over 2019.

So far, there has been a 32 percent increase in overnight occupancy and a 16 percent increase in the average daily room rate.

“All indicators are that this was the best September on record,” Bencivengo said.

VisitBucksCounty.com has seen website visits jump by 50 percent over last year, and it’s partners are seeing positive improvements in tourism, Bencivengo said.

Visit Bucks County took the pandemic into account and shifted their marketing to focus on safety, outdoor activities, and day trippers. Advertising focused on locals and the New York City and Washington D.C. markets.

Visit Bucks County saw success with last year’s Holidays in Bucks County campaign and will build on that effort in 2021, Bencivengo said.

The tourism agency plans to continue to invest in video content, including adding a new series titled “Check-In.” The YouTube channel drew more than 4.5 million views over the past year.

To engage visitors and locals, Visit Bucks County has expanded the Bucks County Ale Trail, which launched in 2019. The list of breweries in the county has grown from a little more than a dozen in 2019 to nearly 30 as of this month.

The Bucks County Ale Trail passport has grown, including 7,000 brewery check-ins in 2021, and near 4,000 T-shirts shipped out to those who took part in the program.

Bencivengo praised the work of Visit Bucks County’s staff and partners during the pandemic.

While the organization was hit hard by the pandemic, it did help the county direct state and federal COVID-19 relief funds to businesses and nonprofits. More than $7 million was provided through the state COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program (CHIRP) in Bucks County, Bencivengo said.

The president and COO of Visit Bucks County said the organization was planning to keep working with the tourism industry as it recovers from the pandemic.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our communities, so thank you,” said Frank Lyons, chairman of the Visit Bucks County Board of Directors.

The annual meeting featured Brian Kelly, the founder and CEO of website The Points Guy. He spoke to the crowd about his journey and how the pandemic will impact tourism.

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