A visitors bureau representative told the Bedford County Board of Commissioners on the morning of the meeting that the county visitors bureau has adopted a five‑year strategic plan to guide spending of revenue from a hotel occupancy tax increase that takes effect Jan. 1, 2026.

The representative said the county previously raised the hotel occupancy tax from 2% to 5% and that the strategic plan — adopted unanimously by the bureau’s board — is intended to ensure the funds will be used to grow tourism while providing measurable results.

The plan, the presenter said, includes an immediate rebrand to “Discover Bedford County,” a new tagline (“discovering unexpected”), a brand book, a new website to be built using Simpleview software and expanded social media activity. The bureau has already launched Instagram and LinkedIn accounts and reported early engagement gains: the presenter said Facebook reach increased 62% and engagement rose 64%, Instagram produced about 3,800 impressions with nearly 200 engagements, and the bureau has begun work with social media influencers.

The bureau representative described a phased timetable: the current period is “year 0,” during which the rebrand, website work and social launches have begun. Year 1 (when the tax revenue will be available) will finalize the website and start planning a countywide wayfinding signage program, with installation planned for year 2 and maintenance funding set aside. Years 2 and 3 will focus marketing on target regional markets including Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and expanding into Cleveland and New York City; years 4 and 5 will include placing a portion of revenue into a capital fund for a larger tourism investment, subject to Pennsylvania statutory limits cited in the presentation.

The representative said the bureau will rename its cooperative grant program the “Tourism Growth Initiative” to include both marketing support and asset enhancement grants for nonprofits and other local attractions. The bureau also intends to track a set of metrics to measure success: hotel‑occupancy tax receipts, occupancy percentage and average daily rate, length of stay, counts of visitors entering from the turnpike, site‑specific traffic for grant recipients, social engagement and website traffic, and visitor satisfaction surveys.

The presenter noted the bureau has relied on a letter of intent previously provided by the commissioners while preparing the plan and that public comments made during the tax increase debate informed the plan’s priorities. The representative also said last year Bedford County tourism generated $300,000,000 in economic activity for the county and that the bureau’s plan is intended to grow that number.

Brooke Elliott, introduced at the meeting as the visitors bureau executive director, joined the presenters and confirmed the bureau will publish the full strategic plan and a press release immediately after the meeting and that it plans to host future town halls for public feedback.

The presenter repeatedly emphasized accountability, saying the board adopted measurable metrics and would report outcomes back to the commissioners and the public. She also noted that the bureau will follow “PA Act 18” in how larger capital investments are structured and that those investments will not compete with private businesses, a constraint the bureau said guided planning for years 4 and 5.

Commissioners and others in the room thanked the bureau members for the work and for improving transparency; the presenter said printed copies of the plan would be made available and that the bureau will post the plan on its website.

The presentation was informational; the board did not take a formal vote on new policy during the presentation.