By DONNA ROVINS | The Times Herald
The Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board this week celebrated tourism in Montgomery County during its seventh annual Travel Rally. The event is an opportunity for the agency to talk about new and returning events in the region this year and their impact on the county’s economy.
About 200 people attended this year’s event — themed “Travel Forward” — held May 8 At Commonwealth National Golf Club in Horsham Township during National Travel & Tourism Week. The event featured a hot air balloon, a banner plane flyover, the Hatboro-Horsham High School Color Guard and performers from the American Revolution Show.
The event celebrated Montgomery County as a premiere tourism destination.
“Here in Montco, we’re beyond proud to see how tourism continues to move forward,” Mike Bowman, president & CEO of the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board, said in a statement. “In 2022, we’re estimating that hospitality contributed more than $1.5 billion and more than 25,000 jobs. And, we’re forecasting that by the end of this year, we’ll exceed 2019 levels for tourism spend.”
The tourism board told attendees that the summer of 2023 will be a record summer for sports in Montgomery County, with nine USA events planned.
Among the sports events in Montgomery County this year is US Youth Soccer, which the agency estimates will generate more than 5,000 room nights and almost $5 million in positive economic impact. It is the largest-ever single sporting event in Montgomery County, according to a press release. Combined, all the USA events mean 12,500 room nights for more than $10 million in economic impact, and more than 40,000 room nights total for sports this summer.
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