Bucks County Tourism Officials Gearing Up For Full-Court Press For DNC 2016 Business
By Brad Segall
BENSALEM, Pa. (CBS) -- Suburban Philadelphia tourism officials are hoping to capture some of the tens of thousands of people that are expected to descend on Philadelphia in July of next year for the Democratic National Convention.
Jerry Lepping, president of the tourism agency "Visit Bucks County," remembers the last time there was a nominating convention in Philadelphia. It was the Republicans, fifteen years ago, in 2000.
And at that time, he says, the suburbs were happy just to get the hotel overflow.
But this time around, he says, it will be different: they plan to be more aggressive. He says their big push will be with social media, driving people to their web site.
"If we can accomplish that, which we've certainly done the last couple of years, people are going to find us," he tells KYW Newsradio. "Our web site is very, very good -- it's almost updated hourly."
He says the Regional Rails can get visitors into the city quickly, and they'll likely find better rates at the half-dozen or so full-service hotels.
He says the best of all worlds is to get them to stay at a hotel in Bucks County for the convention, then bring them back to the area when they decide they're ready for a family vacation.
