Paul Bencivengo presents economic impact figures (Courtesy of Visit Bucks County)
Visit Bucks County (VBC) recognized individuals and organizations during the National Travel & Tourism Week (NTTW) Awards Ceremony held at The Inn at Fox Briar Farm on Tuesday, May 7. The winners were nominated by their local hospitality industry colleagues. Each year, the U.S. Travel Association spearheads National Travel & Tourism Week to raise awareness of the benefits travel has to our health and economy.
Commissioners Diane M. Ellis Marseglia and Robert J. Harvey presented the National Travel & Tourism Week award. “We are pleased to present Visit Bucks County with a proclamation recognizing May 19-25 as National Travel & Tourism Week throughout Bucks County,” Marseglia said. “We want to thank the staff, board and everyone at Visit Bucks County for their dedication to promoting and supporting our industry.”
Each May, Visit Bucks County recognizes the outstanding achievements of Bucks County tourism and hospitality industry employees by presenting awards to employees and organizations in five categories.
The 2024 Visit Bucks County Travel & Tourism Week Award winners are:
- Guest Service Excellence Award: Denise Brislin, Sesame Place® Philadelphia: This award is presented to a frontline staff member with a positive attitude who goes the extra mile every day to assist visitors and interact with customers.
- Hospitality Leadership Award: Alicia Singh, Holiday Inn Express Bensalem: This award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to the tourism and hospitality industry, ultimately increasing visitor numbers to Bucks County.
- Rising Star Award: Amani Taylor, Hilton of Warrington: This award is presented to a young professional who aspires to have a long career in the tourism and hospitality industry.
- Tourism Innovation Award: Christopher Marano, Bucks County Joyride: This award recognizes a business/organization that implements new and creative ways to bring tourists to Bucks County.
- Visit Bucks County Awards: Justin Seely (Peddler's Village), Jennifer Martin (Washington Crossing Historic Park), Ryan Sayes and Tim Taber (Warwick Farm Brewing).
These awards recognize individuals who have contributed to promoting tourism and hospitality in Bucks County.
During the event, Visit Bucks County President and COO Paul Bencivengo shared key tourism statistics highlighting the growth of the tourism industry over the past year: “In 2023, Bucks County welcomed 8.2 million visitors, a 2.5% increase over 2022 visitor numbers. These 8.2 million visitors generated $1.2 billion in economic impact, representing a 2.2% increase over 2022. In 2023, the hospitality industry workforce also grew to a total of 28,675 people,” Bencivengo said.
The increase in visitation continued in the first quarter of 2024. Bucks County saw an average increase in lodging occupancy of +3.5% compared to the same period in 2023. This significant upward trend in lodging occupancy in 2024 is happening as room rates soften, making lodging in Bucks County more affordable.
VBC Board Chairman Doug Miller.
(Courtesy of Visit Bucks County) Bencivengo said 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 believe this record engagement is the result of our focus on creating quality content,” he said. “Our short-term video content has been performing extremely well across all age groups.”
“Visit Bucks County is currently rolling out a branding campaign with static and digital advertising in the New York and Northern New Jersey markets,” Bencivengo said. “Broadcast and streaming commercials will also enter the market this month and run through July to attract tourists to the region.”
Visit Bucks County promotes Bucks County as a place to explore trails, plan outdoor adventures, enjoy family vacations, romantic getaways, and visit countless towns and attractions throughout all seasons.
— Courtesy of Visit Bucks County
