Lebanon Valley’s assets celebrated at Visit Lebanon Valley’s tourism summit

Tourism is a major economic driver in the Lebanon Valley, returning $2.50 for every $1 spent.

That was a primary message highlighted during the third annual Hospitality and Tourism Summit held Thursday at Alden Villa, near Cornwall. Tourism professionals, business leaders, and guests gathered to celebrate the industry at this year’s event. 

Five industry workers were also recognized with the 2025 Hospitality Star Awards during the two-hour event, which kicked off with a recap of the past year and a look to the industry’s future by Jennifer Kuzo, outgoing president of Visit Lebanon Valley.

“The impact of tourism is more than just visitors passing through its jobs, its tax revenue, and support for our local businesses. And according to the PA state data, tourism contributed $268.6 million to Lebanon County alone to our economy in 2024,” Kuzo said. “It supports small businesses, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, local artisans, farm stands, retail, recreation, and more. Dollars spent by tourists generate two dollars and fifty cents in local economic activity through our county.”

There were several initiatives Kuzo discussed to the 80-plus attendees during the event.

Kuzo said Java Journey, now in its seventh year, engages over 2,000 people annually and continues to grow. The agency’s Libations Trail, also in its seventh year, had over 2,300 check-ins to local Lebanon Valley breweries last fall alone, she added. 

And Lebanon Lilly, our utterly adorable cow mascot came out with her second children’s book this year, featuring hot spots like Mount Gretna and the Lebanon Area Fair and Middle Creek and Swatara State Park and Patches Family Creamery,” Kuzo said. “All to remind you that we had great places to take your friends and family when they come and visit.”

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Kuzo discussed Lebanon County’s many assets, including its rich history, culture, and natural beauty.

“From the rolling hills to the Lebanon Valley Rail Trail, we offer outdoor experiences that attract hikers and bikers and nature lovers year round,” Kuzo said. “In fact, ecotourism and heritage tourism are growing trends that perfectly align with what we have to offer here in our county.”

To showcase those assets, Kuzo said the local tourism agency conducted a familiarization tour, or “FAM,” last year to about 15 members of the press and online tourism bloggers.

“We gave them a whirlwind tour of the Lebanon Valley. We took them to Drunken Smithy. We took them to Seltzer’s. We took them to the (Cornwall Iron) Furnace. We took them everywhere,” Kuzo said.  “And on that whirlwind tour, they experienced so much, and they all had a great time on their first visit to the area. They all went home and wrote stories about the area.”

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Kuzo added that those stories had a far-reaching impact. “The exposure we received from all these influencers together reached over half a million followers,” she noted. 

She told the crowd the lasting impression made on one of the attendees. 

“One by far came back as one of the very best summaries of the Lebanon Valley. They came back in the summer as well so they could capture both seasons, the winter and the summer,” Kuzo said. “The first two lines of her blog, this is how she quoted. ‘Travel the interstates for the cities, but take the old highways for the soul of America. There in the quiet charm of its small towns, you’ll find the storybook come to life.’”

Kuzo was deeply moved by those words written by a blogger who made a return visit after the FAM tour.

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“Oh, gosh. It’s more beautiful than ever. And the pictures and everything, it’s beyond. … She did such a great job. I gave myself goosebumps. I didn’t know it was going to be like that,” added Kuzo. 

Jane Yorty, events manager for Visit Lebanon Valley, presented the star awards to five individuals she said are “the people who bring warmth, kindness, and genuine hospitality to everything they do.” The awards program was started a few years ago to recognize those frontline workers who are employed in what was described by Kuzo as “a tough industry.”  

The five award recipients as recognized at the ceremony in alphabetical order are: 

• James Blair, Lebanon Valley Expo Center, customer service supervisor.
• Tim Martin, Ancestor Coffeehouse & Creperie, head barista, coffee roaster and manager.
• Lauren Mettley, Rotunda Restaurant & Brewery, bartender.
• Melody Reed, Panera Bread, team leader.
• Channa Sythong, City Watch Coffee, barista.

The program also featured a spotlight on future hospitality leaders with several Lebanon County Career and Technology Center students in attendance. The students are studying in the LCCTC’s Culinary and Pastry Arts program and were recognized for outstanding contributions to hospitality education. 

Led by Chef Brian Peffley, the CTC continues to shape the next generation of culinary and hospitality professionals in the Lebanon Valley. He spoke proudly of some of the awards the program has achieved over the past 30 years that he has been a co-leader of that department within the vocational school’s program. 

“We have some of the bragging rights, 30 state titles for my program. Nine national finalists and medalists, four Teacher of the Year awards from five different agencies. So I’ve been very, very blessed and very, very proud to be here.But that wouldn’t happen if I didn’t have students that came to my program and chose to come to my program and found their calling. And I always say just bring the spark and I’ll add the gasoline,” Peffley said.

Kuzo returned and mentioned data while again speaking about the industry’s future.

We use an analytic data program called Placer AI which tells us exactly where our guests are coming from and with that data we found out that Philadelphia, New York, and New Jersey is where they’re coming from,” Kuzo said. “The STAR report is also what we use to understand our occupancy in the hotels and compare county to county and month to month and year to year how we’re doing. So we analyze a lot of data. I won’t get into all that jargon because that can get a little cumbersome.”

That data, however, is instrumental in deciding where to market the Lebanon Valley to tourists. 

“Every summer we do that campaign and this summer was no exception and it did very well in our out-of-market campaigns and our clip through rate was very good. It was above industry standards and our campaign was called Pick Your Own Adventure in the Lebanon Valley,” she said, adding that 100,000 copies of the agency’s visitors guide were distributed through the Mid-Atlantic region.

Kuzo, who is preparing to retire in mid-December to spend time with her grandchildren, spoke of a future trend that’s poised to do well here given the county’s many assets.

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“Mostly we’re looking at the anti-luxury traveler – exactly a trend that’s coming up and that could work out pretty well for us. You know they’re looking for authenticity over opulence. The village stays, the family-style meals, an emotional connection with the community, and they want to see a meaningful experience,” Kuzo said. 

Other speakers included Rick Stammel, president of Visit Lebanon Valley’s board of directors; Kaitie Burger, executive director of the Pennsylvania Tourism Office; and Harvey Turner, owner of Alden Villa, who shared the story behind his extensive restoration of the historic mansion. He described his desire to give the space back to the community to use for gatherings and celebrations, and following the conclusion of the program gave a guided tour of the building.

Stammel reflected on the organization’s work and its positive influence on local businesses while emphasizing collaboration, community pride, and the economic benefits that tourism brings to the Lebanon Valley.

“Hospitality isn’t just about welcoming visitors. It’s about fueling our economy, strengthening our communities, showcasing the best who we are,” Stammel said. “Today, we honor so many of those people who live that excellence out every day of their lives and congratulations to all the recipients today at the awards.” 

Burger highlighted the agency’s contributions to statewide tourism and noted the region’s rising status as a destination via the vital role it plays in Pennsylvania’s tourism economy, which had 201 million visitors in 2024 and generated an economic impact of just about $84 billion.

“It’s a huge industry here from our quaint downtowns and charming main streets to that rich agricultural tourism that draws so much economic development across the commonwealth as a whole, and we can’t do it without partners like all of you in the room,” Burger said during her brief remarks.