PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on Montgomery County tourism last year. But the group behind marketing efforts for the county is predicting a healthy recovery in the coming months.
The Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board reported to the Montgomery County Commissioners during an online presentation that the county suffered an estimated $800 million in losses in tourism- and travel-related business last year and 15,000 jobs were lost.
However, Jake Markezin, the tourism board’s vice president of operations, said they’re projecting a strong rebound.
“By the end of 2021, the county should be back to about 65% to 70% of pre-pandemic levels,” Markezin said.
What’s behind those numbers?
“The county is well-positioned in the heavily-populated Mid-Atlantic region to capture the leisure traveler,” he explained. “Montco is also a drive-to destination with plenty of open space to roam. And, of course, you can reconnect with our nation’s history.”
Mike Bowman, president and CEO of the tourism board, told the commissioners things could have been a lot worse.
“It was a tough year,” he acknowledged. “I’m happy to say though, that we still continued to outperform the region.
Bowman said among the events the group expects to contribute to the tourism business rebound is weddings.
Lisa Karl, one of the group’s vice presidents, said there is a huge, pent up demand for wedding locations, and they expect 5,000 weddings in the county. Last year, there were only 2,500 weddings in the county.
Karl said the average number is generally about 4,000 a year.
Karl also reported another big event set for early summer is the opening of a new visitors’ center at the Valley Forge National Historical Park.
“You will find our official visitors’ center of Montgomery County totally re-imagined with a tech-driven experience for visitors,” she said.
Karl said the new center will offer a wealth of information on sites and experiences available throughout Montgomery County.