Commissioners hear Pocono Mountain tourism report, warn of EMS staffing shortfalls; Trinity wins jail food contract

The Carbon County Board of Commissioners heard a tourism and economic report from the Pocono Mountain Vacation Bureau and discussed local emergency medical services staffing shortages during its regular meeting.

Chris, a representative of the Pocono Mountain Vacation Bureau (PMVB), told commissioners the bureau completed a clean audit and is in a strong financial position. He said the bureau estimates the four-county destination draws about 3,600,000 visitors annually and that Carbon County generates roughly 12% of that visitation. PMVB figures presented to the board said guest spending to the county has risen 32% since 2019 and that direct visitor spending to Carbon County is about $600,000,000; total direct and indirect visitor-related economic activity was shown as about $853,000,000, with local tax benefits on the order of $50,000,000.

"We were in a good financial position, and we did have a clean audit," Chris said, handing commissioners copies of the bureau's board report, audit and supplemental slides.

The PMVB representative described programs meant to spread tourism beyond Jim Thorpe — including developing products in Lansford and other boroughs, coordinating historic assets and exploring partnerships with the Reading & Northern excursion trains — and listed locally targeted grants and services the…