One of the biggest and most regular lie told in Lancaster County is the number of tourists. The county get money from the state based on these numbers. The incentive to cook the books is there.
So the ‘primary driver’ for the tourist is Sight & Sound according to Chris Barret. Yet this ‘good’ show will attract 800,000 tickets sales – let’s say a million or 1.2 million (how many are from Lancaster county?) But they want us to believe that the total for the entire tourist trade is 11 million? Are you kidding me?
Remember that we KNOW what the tourist trade did when Sight and Sound was burned down. It’s not the norm to be able to test such a theory!
Read the following from today’s paper and see what I mean.
[snip]
Many hotels, outlet centers and individual destinations are reporting bigger crowds this year than last. This summer has been drier than the past two years, and less rain means more visitors. The industry also sees a lot of pent-up demand, and Lancaster County’s proximity to large metropolitan areas makes it a good option for price-conscious travelers.
But perhaps most important of all:
Sight & Sound has a new show.
“Joseph” opened in March to rave reviews and packed houses; the show could attract 800,000 or more by the end of the summer.
The Christian-themed productions at Sight & Sound always draw a crowd, but debuts generate particularly large audiences — and the spillover is crucial for many area tourist attractions.
“There is no doubt they’re a primary driver for us,” said Christopher Barrett, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau.
