ANNUAL REPORT
A Message from the President/COO Bucks County Hospitality Partners, County Officials and Residents, More than 8.1 million visitors experience Bucks County each year, generating a total economic impact of $1.1 billion, and helping to support more than 28,700 hospitality jobs. According to STR, 2019 overnight room supply was up 3% for the year. Even with more rooms available, average occupancy was up nearly 4% in the peak travel season of May through August. The holidays in Bucks County also saw more overnight rooms filled in 2019—November occupancy was up 5.8% and December was up 2.8%. We strengthened our marketing investment in New York City, New Jersey and Philadelphia with the addition of a new holiday commercial, garnering more than 36 million impressions through cable and broadcast TV. On social media, we reached a record 20,000 Instagram followers, nearly doubling our count from last year, and saw a 176% increase in visitors coming to VisitBucksCounty.com from social media channels. In the pages ahead you’ll get a snapshot of Visit Bucks County’s successful programs and campaigns from 2019. It was a jam-packed year marketing and supporting Bucks County’s hospitality industry! The Tourism Office is excited for the many openings, expansions and renovations in the year ahead. We will continue to partner with local Bucks County businesses to ensure this always remains an ideal destination to live, work and visit! Thank you,
Paul Bencivengo President/COO
Visit Bucks County Staff Paul Bencivengo President/COO Heather Walter Marketing Director
Lisa Paglaiccetti Industry Relations Director
Kristen Green Visitor Information Coordinator
Alexa Johnson Senior Marketing & Communications Manager
Kelley Keeling Visitor Experience & Partner Outreach Manager
Janet Brown Gift Shop & Operations Coordinator
Kate Isbel Digital Communications Manager
Jenna Worrell Business Development & Events Manager
Kate Godsell Accountant
Emily Cummins Public Relations Manager Jenna Scull Communications Coordinator Megan Rosanova Graphic Design Assistant
Dawn Craven Partner Relations Coordinator Alex Mottershead Event Specialist
Visitor Information Specialists Carol Bandanburg, Linda Deluca, Sandra Herman, Joan MacNichol, Shannon Rinker, Connie Roth, Louise Trucks, Marion Wagenmann, Meredith Walker
Table of Contents 4 Destination Development 6 What’s New in Bucks County 9 What’s Next in Bucks County 10 Culinary Tourism 12 Weddings & Events
Bridgeton House on the Delaware
14 Promoting the Past & Present
@artursny
16 Holidays in Bucks County 18 Leveraging Locals 22 Brand Advertising 24 Maximizing the Media 26 Digital & Social Promotions 28 Visitor Services & Outreach 30 Industry Support & Advocacy @jonnytorker
Lake Nockamixon
Bucks County Commissioners Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia, LCSW Chair
Robert J. Harvie Jr. Vice Chair
Gene DiGirolamo County Commissioner
Visit Bucks County Board of Directors William C. Brady
Mycle Gorman
Doug Miller
Robert Caruso
William F. Haas
Moses Reidenbach
Dennis Cronin
James Humphreys
Sharon Rossi
Tabitha Dardes
Paul Licitra
Jennifer Ruane
Albert A. Giagnacova
Frank Lyons
Christine Triantos
Ron Gilbert
Robert McGowan
Dr. Charles Tweedy
Destination Development Visit Bucks County consistently sees an increase in occupancy, with summer and fall being some of the best seasons to stay. The continued developments around the region make it an even more enticing destination to discover all year long.
s nt Eve e s Copper Hou
le yB arn
County Theater Expansion
ol Tr n w Quakerto
3.7% Increase in overnight occupancy
(May-August 2019 vs. May–August 2018)
Growth Continues Hospitality developers continue to invest in Bucks County, providing more options and opportunities for visitors and locals alike. The tourism industry is a leading contributor to Bucks County’s economic growth and prosperity.
3% Increase in total room supply (vs. 2018)
2.1% Increase in average daily room rate (vs. 2018)
3.6% Increase in revenue per available room (vs. 2018)
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Source: STR
8.1 Million e’ s
visitors
$1.1 Billion
t et Od t a se Hou r e v i R
in economic impact
Impact Made Visitor spending in Bucks County not only fuels the local economy, but creates and supports jobs.
28,000 Jobs in the leisure and hospitality industry
Th eS
The Salt House
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are
Peddler’s Village 5
What’s New in Bucks County
by Jo se Gar ces
In 2019, millions of visitors enjoyed tons of exciting openings and expansions throughout the County. From a transformed riverfront to new restaurants and breweries, visitors have plenty to eat, drink and explore.
@theaterbcp
Ghost Light Inn
a ell St
Developments Added as Part of Riverfront Revitalization Several groundbreaking establishments opened in New Hope, including The Deck Restaurant & Bar, a casual American fare dining experience located on the back of the Bucks County Playhouse, the Ghost Light Inn, a 12-room contemporary hotel, and Stella by Jose Garces, a modern cuisine restaurant from one of Philly’s favorite Food Network chefs. The Deck Restaurant & Bar
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Breweries Opened The craft-beer revolution has exponentially grown the amount of breweries and beer-related jobs in the nation. Consequently, nearly a dozen new breweries have been added to the Bucks County Ale Trail this year!
• Broken Goblet - New Location
• Tilt’em Back Brewing
• Geronimo Brewing
• Two Rivers Brewing Co.
• Langhorne Brewing Co.
• Vault Taproom
• Newtown Brewing Co.
• Warwick Farm Brewing
• Odd Logic Brewing Co.
• Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
C o.
• Second Sin Brewing Co.
Lo Odd
gi
n wi re cB
g
Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Warwick Farm Brewing
Event Spaces Opened •
Durham Springs Culinary Event Center (14,000 sq. ft.)
• • • •
Nostalgia 1720 (8,500 sq. ft.) Rafters (10,000 sq. ft.) Stella by Jose Garces (7,000 sq. ft.) The Gathering Place (1,200 sq. ft.)
Durham Springs Culinary Event Center
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What’s New in Bucks County Sesame Place® Philadelphia Celebrates 50 Years of Sesame Street® This year, Sesame Place debuted an all-new Sesame Street Neighborhood, featuring new storefronts, Abby Cadabby’s Garden and Big Bird’s Nest. The theme park also introduced a new character, Mr. Snuffleupagus!
Sesame Place ® Philadelphia
New Festivals Several new and unique festivals gave visitors more reasons to visit and stay overnight.
• • •
Doylestown Pride Festival Bucks County Food & Wine Festival at Parx Casino® Peddler’s Village PEEPS® in the Village
Peddler’s Village
m @
ik e.m
Parx Casino®
8
ane y
What’s Next in Bucks County
O de tt e’s
In 2020, visitors to Bucks County can expect to see new spaces for the events market, new restaurants and the continued growth of leisure attractions for the more than 8 million visitors to Bucks County.
Rive
at se u r Ho
River House at Odette’s
Development in New Hope Keeping with the riverfront renovations, the River House at Odettes will open its doors just in time for wedding season in May. The luxury boutique hotel will include 34 guest rooms, a members-only rooftop bar, lobby piano lounge and a venue space that can accommodate up to 220 guests. Nearby, the Logan Inn expansion will bring 40 rooms to the center of New Hope, as well as an event space and multiple breakout rooms.
Culinary Scene Continues to Boom New brewery openings, like that of Iron Hill Brewery and Aristaeus Craft Brewing Co., will expand the Bucks County Ale Trail. New restaurants hitting the scene include Solstice, a modern seasonal restaurant in the Village at Newtown Shopping Center, Bomba Tacos & Rum, Tredici, Joe Santucci’s Original Square Pizza, Turning Point, LoveBird, Bryn & Dane’s, MOD Pizza, Melt Shop, Playa Bowls and The Farmer & The Chickpea.
So lst ice Res taurant
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Culinary Tourism Visit Bucks County develops new ways for tourists to explore by tapping into the food scene, as well as new technology. The Bucks County Ale Trail and Sweet Spots Trail digital passports tap into travelers’ desire to discover new culinary experiences - and encourage them to extend their stay - by touring the area’s best breweries, creameries, bakeries, chocolatiers, coffee roasters and more.
Bucks County Ale Trail VBC’s passport program encourages visitors to visit five or more breweries to receive a free T-shirt. VBC strengthens collaboration between breweries through new beer releases. For example, together, Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co. and Free Will Brewing Co. produced Sixteen Eighty-Two Kölsch, and Naked Brewing Co. and Broken Goblet produced How Do You Like Them Apples?.
Untappd VBC leveraged the popular beer-lover-app Untappd to get the Bucks County Ale Trail message in front of anyone checking in within a 100-mile radius of Bucks County.
100,000
unlocked the promotion in just 3 months
Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. & Baltimore Top cities Free Will Brewing Co.
Whiskey Rebellion VBC also partnered with the Whiskey Rebellion Trail, which highlights the distilleries Dad’s Hat, Hewn Spirits, Triple Sun Spirits and 1675 Spirits. 10
Bucks County Sweet Spots Trail Spotlighting 35+ bakeries, ice cream parlors, cafes, candy stores and more, visitors are encouraged to visit five or more stops on the Sweet Spots Trail to receive a free Bucky plush. VBC took the Trail on the road to Washington, D.C. and SEPTA’s Jefferson Station in Philadelphia to hand out a total of 7,000 sweet treats to locals and commuters.
Well Seasoned The bi-annual food & beverage magazine Well Seasoned promotes restaurants in articles like “Delicious Diners” and “Late Night Bites.” 50,000 copies are printed each spring and fall and distributed to hotels and attractions throughout the County.
Visit Bucks County Restaurant Week Visit Bucks County Restaurant Week came back for seconds - a second year that is. Nearly 70 restaurants’ prix fixe menus were promoted on OpenTable. VisitBucksCounty.com saw 46,250 pageviews and on Facebook 260,921 people were reached.
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Weddings & Events Bucks County Wedding Show Approximately 750 people, including 200+ engaged people, attended the annual Bucks County Wedding Show, in March, held at Delaware Valley University. 56 exhibitors, from cake decorators to florists, were represented, and 500 total leads were generated from the show!
813
Instagram posts using #WedinBucksCo
Engaged couples, event planners and group tour operators are all key audiences for Visit Bucks County. VBC markets to these segments through annually hosted events and tradeshows, paid search campaigns, targeted digital ads and immersive content, including 3D video of venues.
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30%
increase in session length to the Weddings landing page
Bucks County Event Venue Show Nearly 100 meeting and event planners met with 45 corporate and social partner venues at the September show at Michener Art Museum. Following the show, a group of planners stayed overnight at the Doylestown Inn and participated in a tour of Bucks County’s corporate and social meeting facilities.
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AM
Tou r
Tradeshows Attended VBC attended tradeshows along the East Coast and met with thousands of group tour operators and consumers. Philadelphia & South Jersey Wedding and Bridal Expo (Philadelphia, PA) American Bus Association Marketplace (Louisville, KY) Pennsylvania Bus Association Group Leader Marketplace (York, PA) International LGBTQ+ Travel Association Annual Global Convention (New York, NY) Greater New Jersey Motorcoach Association Group Leader Marketplace (Atlantic City, NJ) Bus Association of New York Annual Meeting & Marketplace (Bethlehem, PA)
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Promoting the Past & Present Conveniently located 25 miles from Philadelphia, 75 miles from New York City and 125 miles from Washington, D.C., Bucks County offers scenic countrysides, history, the arts, downtown charm, miles of vineyards, gourmet dining, small town villages and so much more. An overnight stay in one of Bucks County’s charming, historic towns is a popular weekend getaway for people from the area’s many neighboring states and cities.
Follow the Footsteps of George Washington In an effort to attract those looking to rediscover their roots, VBC promotes itineraries highlighting notable and historic figures and the places they frequented in the County, including Washington Crossing Historic Park, Bowman’s Hill Tower, Black Bass Inn and more.
Underground Railroad Bucks County was home to many important stops on the Underground Railroad, from taverns and churches to privately owned farms, many of which can still be visited today. VBC compiled a list of places to follow along on the journey, as well as a new video from the perspective of The North Star filmmaker, Thomas K. Phillips.
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Pride in Bucks County
New Hope Pride Fest
2019 marked one of the largest Pridefests in the history of the LGBTQ+ celebration in New Hope and the addition of the new Doylestown Pride Festival. VBC attracted visitors to the area by advertising in MetroSource, a top LGBTQ+ publication, and by geofencing the World Pride Parade in NYC to target 464,194 potential tourists with ads on their mobile devices.
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x
Unique Lodging
&
Ho u
nd I n n B &B
Visit Bucks County’s YouTube series Check In takes viewers behind-the-scenes at some of the County’s most unique lodging properties. This season featured the Ghost Light Inn, Carriage House of New Hope, Inn at Bowman’s Hill, 1740 House, Washington House Hotel and Fox & Hound B&B of New Hope.
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Holidays in Bucks County Visit Bucks County’s Holidays in Bucks County campaign drove more than 61,760,690 impressions encouraging travelers to visit during one of the most magical times of the year. The holidays in Bucks County also saw more overnight rooms filled in 2019, November occupancy was up 5.8% and December was up 2.8%.
Peddler’s Village
Holiday Television Commercial VBC aired a new holiday commercial featuring popular holiday attractions, including A Very Furry Christmas at Sesame Place®, Peddler’s Village and the Holiday Light Show at Shady Brook Farm. The commercial ran in Northern New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia gaining more than 36,520,005 impressions. 16
@brooks1962
Peddler’s l Vil
ag
e
@sayhellotoamerica @susanmflowers
#HolidaysinBucksCo
@womancalledashley
280,000 impressions S
es am e
13,000 engagements e
7,000 link clicks
m
@
Plac
200 posts on Instagram
Doylestown Tree Lighting
so hn @jo
@jessicavogler
nh all cof fee
ic he le
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@wildkidswander
Holiday Experience Book VBC published 65,000 copies of the Holiday Experience Book filled with top holiday events and distributed it in area hotels. The piece was also inserted into the Bucks County Herald and Shady Brook Farm’s Holiday Light Show publication that is given to each vehicle driving through the show.
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Leveraging Locals Photo Walks The annual Photo Walk series takes locals on camera-ready, educational walking tours of places like Washington Crossing Historic Park, New Hope and Doylestown. More than 415 photos were posted using #VBCPhotoWalk2019, resulting in an Instagram reach to more than 7,000 potential tourists, and an abundance of user-generated content for Visit Bucks County’s social feeds.
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@bergerbud
@brooks1962
@imjessthegirl
@jamiekassa
@jennifer_groce
@stephaniehurstphotography
From the Locals Blog
60+
posts written by locals
64%
increase in pageviews to the From the Locals blog (vs. 2018)
Bucks County is My Home Series VBC produced two new Bucks County is My Home videos highlighting the Bucks County Ale Trail and Touring the Underground Railroad. These videos feature locals touring the County and sharing their authentic experiences.
Thomas K. Phillips
Brandalynn Armstrong
View all at: VisitBucksCounty.com/BucksCountyIsMyHome
Read more at: VisitBucksCounty.com/FromtheLocals
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@foodbabyny
#EatinBucksCo @denisemarie_photography
@brooks1962
Nearly 40,000 user-generated photos were gathered from Visit Bucks County hashtags.
@jdfilmproductions @visitphilly_abbystyle
@ericwilliams_photography
@loganinnpa
@hgolightly12
#DrinkinBucksCo
@bluesagegrille
@perone_x05
#ExploreinBucksCo
@jermaine.pics
@erik_purcell
Brand Advertising Travelers from New York, Northern New Jersey and Washington, D.C. have long been venturing to Bucks County to be inspired by the beautiful countryside. Visit Bucks County continues to tell that story with large impactful visuals — billboards lining the NJ Turnpike, canvasing NJ Transit and gracing the televisions of those in target markets.
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Targeted Geofencing
58,305,000
cable and broadcast impressions serving New York & Northern New Jersey
In June, VBC geofenced (captured mobile devices within a certain radius) the World Pride Parade in NYC and served those individuals targeted messaging about visiting Bucks County. Then, in the summer, the VBC team traveled to Franklin Square Park in Washington D.C. to promote the Ice Cream Trail by handing out free, local ice cream. While there, VBC targeted mobile devices in and around the park and delivered advertising messaging about family-friendly Ice Cream Trail itineraries in Bucks County.
10,037,509
cable and broadcast impressions serving Philadelphia
74,228,652
impressions on billboards and throughout New Jersey Transit stations
Destination Guide 100,000 copies are printed and distributed annually to attract visitors to the County. Travelers can find itineraries, lists of attractions, lodging and an illustrative map within the publication.
59,992,525 digital impressions
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Maximizing the Media Visit Bucks County secured mentions in top national publications, including AFAR, Forbes.com, Reader’s Digest and The Rainbow Times, plus in local outlets FOX29, NBC10, PBS39, abc LOCALISH and CBS Philly through proactive pitching and press trip hosting.
Press Trips VBC hosted a dozen press trips, with influencers, including FoodBabyNY, What’s on Mimi’s Mind and digital publications, Thrillist, POPSUGAR and USA Today.
Fo @
od ba
by NY
Foodie Retreat In May, seven social media influencers with a combined following of 115,000 participated in a gourmet getaway to Bucks County, touring the Bucks County Ale Trail and Sweets Spots trails, the inaugural Bucks County Food & Wine Festival and many other food-related activities in the area. More than 400 posts were shared to Instagram from attendees, resulting in more than 8,000 combined engagements and 218 new followers added to VBC’s Instagram channel. 24
Conquering Cuisine
“Bucks County is a picturesque county, with lovely farmland, rolling hills and historic little towns with so much to see and do!” – Mid-Atlantic Day Trips “It’s cliché to say that there’s something for everyone, but here it seems to hold true, with the help of its collection of breweries, wineries, distilleries and more than 7,000 acres of Bucks County parkland replete with outdoor recreation opportunities.” - The National
285,541,184
total media impressions
“We had such an amazing time in a gorgeous B&B on our babymoon… We loved Peddler’s Village and walking through Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve. Honestly one of the best getaways ever! We’ll be back!” - LuxeLatte “…everything in Bucks County was perfect for our minivacation getaway.” - Lauren Magenta “With an already strong reputation as a one-of-akind, walkable destination along the Delaware River, it appears as though the best is just beginning here.” - Mid-Atlantic Events Magazine 25
Digital & Social Promotions Through customized e-newsletters, creative contests, insightful articles and captivating photos and videos, Visit Bucks County is able to promote the ideal visitor experience and engage with the potential tourists across multiple digital mediums.
51,000 e-newsletter subscribers driving more than 19,000 pageviews to VisitBucksCounty.com
Website
+36%
increase in users (vs. 2018)
+37%
increase in first-time users (vs. 2018) 26
+39%
increase in sessions (vs. 2018)
Contests
28%
increase in subscribers from contests & promotions (vs. 2018)
Video
429,100
minutes of video watched
14,400 engagements
126 1,373,488 18,870 stories
impressions
actions taken
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Visitor Services & Outreach Visit Bucks County services thousands of visitors at the Visitor Center in Bensalem through phone calls, live chats, walk-ins, events and exhibits.
ks Buc Co
t un
y
Vi sit or C
ente r
Visitor Center by the Numbers
30,000 partner referrals Peddler’s Village Apple Festival
Events & Festivals
15,000
VBC also reaches visitors by attending events and distributing collateral at events throughout the County.
5,000
• • • • • • • • •
Broken Goblet’s Hoppy Halloween Bucks County Classic Fonthill Castle Brewfest Bucks County Food & Wine Festival at Parx Casino® Peddler’s Village Apple Festival Philly Beer Week Opening Tap PRLA Taste of Bucks Mont State Wars Hockey Winter Wars East Tournament Taste of Winter Festival
walk-in visitors
mailings of VBC collateral (79% increase over 2018!)
40,000
live greetings resulting in 2,000 chats
1,000+ phone calls
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African American Exhibit
Bucks County Quilt Show
VBC partnered with the African American Museum of Bucks County to host a four-part speaker series supported by Comcast.
The 15th annual event displayed 107 quilts from local artisans and drove more than 2,000 visitors.
New Hope Celebrates Pride Exhibit
Holiday Trees at the Visitor Center
The “Equality – Pride in Our History” exhibit took 406 visitors on a journey through the decades of gay pride and showcased a collection of stories, photos and memorabilia from the LGBTQ+ community.
Visitors were encouraged to make the Visitor Center their first stop in Bucks County during the holidays to view 15 uniquely decorated holiday trees to pick up a Holiday Experience Book.
Elements of Art Exhibit
Local Artist Series
Skyler Granville, a 23-year-old with cerebral palsy who paints with his feet, displayed his artwork, receiving a multitude of media coverage, from 6abc to PBS13, and brought in 238 visitors.
The theater gallery rotated six local artists’ work throughout the year. From watercolors to razor blade art, the exhibits served as a creative complement to the main gallery’s events. 29
Industry Support & Advocacy Visit Bucks County makes it a priority to teach the business of tourism to area hospitality employees, as well as use its elevated platform to voice important industry matters to both local and national government officials.
Educational Series VBC hosted quarterly roundtables for lodging properties, as well as quarterly educational sessions for tourism partners offering networking opportunities and advice from TripAdvisor, The Knot and more.
Fall Grant Winners
Grant Program VBC has granted a total of more than $4 million to more than 100 area non-profits to foster tourism development through exhibits, expansions and festivals.
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National Travel & Tourism Week Each May, Visit Bucks County celebrates Tourism Week. VBC also hosts an annual breakfast where individuals and organizations are honored with Tourism Week Awards. The staff also spends time cleaning up a local park in Doylestown to give back to the community.
Partner Toolkit This year while visiting partners, VBC distributed the Partner Toolkit, a compact designed box that holds destination guides, Well Seasoned magazine and a Partner Toolkit flipbook, making it easy for partners new and active to see what VBC can offer them and how to access it.
Advocacy VBC participated in U.S. Travel’s Destination Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. and the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association’s Legislative Day in Harrisburg, where staff met with legislators at the federal and state level to discuss matters impacting the hospitality industry. Destination Capitol Hill
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VisitBucksCounty.com Promoting travel to Bucks County 3207 Street Road, Bensalem, PA 19020 • 215.639.0300
@VisitBucksPA • #EatinBucksCo • #DrinkinBucksCo • #ExploreinBucksCo Photo Credits: Bill Johnson, Heather Frederick, Hope Helmuth Photography, Kevin Crawford Imagery, Moose is on the Loose, Paul Boger, Sesame Place Philadelphia®, Stella by Jose Garces, Twisted Oaks Studio.
