Vacation bureau is more than brochures

By DAVID HULSE

MILFORD, PA — The Pocono Mountains Vacation Bureau (PMVB) does a good deal more than distributing brochures to area visitors, according to spokeswoman Ann Pilcher.

The bureau also has a role in the environment, providing local beautification grants, like one that went to Lords Valley in Blooming Grove Township this past week.

The PMVB also assists in cultural efforts and has provided ongoing support for the Delaware and Hudson Transportation Heritage Council, an interstate organization of canal related site managers.

In the past, the PMVB has also come up with emergency funding to keep the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce Stourbridge Line tourism trains running.

Marketing the region is a big part of the mission, and PMVB spends $5 million annually in combined media marketing, email, direct mail and trade show work.

One of 46 similar agencies in Pennsylvania, Pilcher said PMVB is a not-for-profit serving Carbon, Monroe, Pike and Wayne counties. The organization is funded by a combination of state and county grants and member dues. The bureau’s more than 600 members encompass every kind of tourism interest from “candle factories to campgrounds,” she said.

Tourism continued to be a primary regional industry last year, bringing in $194 million in revenues in Pike and $1 billion in the four-county area.

PMVB markets all regional attractions, but member businesses receive additional services, including referrals, reservation tracking and specific promotions, like a recent vacation giveaway contest at the Westfall Visitors Center.

Pilcher appeared before the Pike County Commissioners on April 28 to accept their proclamation in recognition of National Tourism Week.