The Valley Forge Tourism Board hosts an annual parade.

Mike Bowman, right, president and CEO of the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board, and Monty the Fox talk to parade participants May 8. (Photo Courtesy Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board)

The Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board celebrated tourism in Montgomery County this week during its seventh annual Travel Parade. 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.

Around 200 people took part this year – under the theme “Travel Forward” – at the Commonwealth National Golf Club in Horsham during National Travel and Tourism Week. The event featured a hot air balloon, Banner Airplane flying the flyer, the Hatboro-Horsham High School Color Guard and actors from the American Revolution Show.

The event celebrated Montgomery County as a premier tourism destination.

“Here in Montco, we’re proud to see how tourism is moving forward,” Mike Bowman, president and CEO of the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board, said in a statement. “By 2022, we estimate hospitality will contribute more than $1.5 billion and more than 25,000 jobs. And, by the end of this year, we predict that we will surpass 2019 levels for tourism spending.

The summer of 2023 will be a record summer for sports in Montgomery County, the tourism board told the audience, with nine U.S. events planned.

Among the sporting events held in Montgomery County this year is the American Youth Football Tournament, which the agency estimates will generate more than 5,000 room nights and nearly $5 million in positive economic impact. According to a press release, this is the largest single sporting event in Montgomery County. All USA events combined mean more than $10 million in economic impact of 12,500 room nights and more than 40,000 room nights for sports this summer.

New in 2022 and back this year is the Montco Jazz Fest, which is again hosted by the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board’s third Montco Week of the Arts, September 20th through October 1st. It is included in the theme and character of jazz by women. Dozens of shows in Montgomery County.

Also returning to Montgomery County this year is the American Revolution Fair. On May 27 and June 10, the costumed artists will perform outside the Washington Memorial Chapel for professional performances.

The American Revolution show features seven actors on a small stage — creating “characters, scenery and props with just their bodies and voices,” according to information on the tour group’s website. The cast recreates America’s struggle for freedom. Sponsored by the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board, the shows will be free. Information about the shows can be found by visiting valleyforge.org/things-to-do/arts-culture/american-revolution-show/

Returning in July is the third edition of Crave Montco Month, a four-week campaign highlighting the county’s more than 1,850 restaurants and Montco makers — breweries, wineries and food establishments.

Crave Montco Month and Arts Montco Week launched in 2021 to promote restaurants and the arts in the county – two sectors of the tourism and travel industry that have been hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic.

Also returning to Montgomery County is Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil BAZZAR will make its North American debut September 26 through October 22 under the Big Top at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at The Oaks. Cirque du Soleil BAZZAR is described as a colorful tribute to the legacy of Cirque du Soleil.

This is the third time Cirque du Soleil has performed in Montgomery County. The popular entertainment group first came to the area in 2018 with Volta and returned in 2019 with AMALUNA.

During the ride’s parade, the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board teased its summer video media campaign that positions Montgomery County’s strengths as the ultimate family destination.

Based on consumer research and trend monitoring, the firm knows most travelers, particularly in New York City and Washington, DC, are “prioritizing leisure travel, and targeting their family-oriented messaging to those markets and beyond.” The statement said.

The Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board has an ongoing partnership with Zartico, a company that helps track visitor data to provide details on where visitors come from, what places they visit, how long they stay and what they spend. .