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County tourism director reports growing digital marketing, film activity and battlefield preservation plans
Summary
The county’s visitors bureau described an increased focus on digital advertising, regional partnerships, film production returning after tax-credit restoration, and a proposed Hope's Run Civil War battlefield park that the bureau seeks to promote.
Mark Jordan, speaking for the county’s Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), updated the commission on marketing, film and agritourism work and requested continued support for regional partnerships and event grants.
Jordan said the bureau is shifting advertising dollars toward digital channels and video and expects a larger regional marketing push with Jefferson and Morgan counties to amplify results. “We’re gonna put a little bit more money into dual ads, some YouTube videos,” he said, describing recent digital gains and plans to route traffic to local sites rather than solely to the state’s tourism site.
Jordan reported that film production activity has returned after a tax-credit restoration. In remarks about production prospects, he said the state’s tax credit drove renewed interest: "That's a big push for the ... It brought it back," he said, adding the bureau expects multiple films and a planned Netflix series to film in the region.
He described work to support agritourism and to reduce regulatory obstacles for wineries and distilleries, and he said the CVB is pursuing marketing and grant programs tied to events such as the Apple Harvest festival. The bureau also named new board leadership: Roger Engel, board president, and Greg Jones, vice president.
Jordan asked for the commission’s support for a proposed Hope's Run Battlefield site, a Civil War battlefield the CVB hopes to develop as a park with interpretive exhibits to link regional battlefield tourism (Harpers Ferry, Sharpsburg) and to attract heritage visitors.
He said the bureau is exploring infrastructure credits and other incentives to attract film studios and sound stage development; Jordan asked county leaders to assist in promoting those state-level efforts. He reported planned regional marketing in major metro areas and said visitor numbers are returning toward pre-pandemic patterns.
No formal county action was proposed during the presentation; Jordan reiterated that the CVB accepts and reviews event grant applications through its website.
