Gettysburg's iconic witness trees took center stage this week as part of a CBS Sunday Morning broadcast. The story, "Standing Witness," focused on the trees' roles as bystanders to the epic battle in 1863.
 
"These witness trees remind park visitors, of every age, that the Civil War is hardly ancient history," said reporter Mark Strassman as part of the broadcast. "Trees that once lent shade and comfort to soldiers with just hours to live, that uniquely bring America's bloody past into the present."
 
In addition to an interview with Supervisory Park Ranger Angie Akinson, the story also included exhibits in the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center as well as a tour of the battlefield by GettysBike.
 
CBS Sunday Morning averages 6 million viewers per week, and approximately 26 million unique visitors per month to its website.
 
>> Watch the Broadcast

​Since the My Gettysburg app was unveiled over two years ago, more than 16,000 people have downloaded the mobile travel tool, generating 108,000 sessions.
 
Destination Gettysburg unveiled the app in January 2016 as a way for visitors to have easy access to travel information such as events, restaurants, attractions, shopping and lodging, whether they are at home or standing on Lincoln Square in Gettysburg.
 
The success of the My Gettysburg app continues to grow, and members are encouraged to help promote the app through our app cards, available to pick up at our office.
 
The app is free to download and is available on both iPhone and Android devices. 
 
>> Don't have the app? Download it here!

​As of June 1, new smart parking meters and multi-space kiosks have been installed at select locations along Baltimore Street and throughout Lincoln Square replacing the traditional coin operated parking meters. The new smart meters can still be operated using coins, but visitors now have the option to pay using a credit card or mobile app.
 
With the app, Passport Parking, smart phone users will be able to pay for their meter remotely and be reminded of when their time is set to expire and where the parked.
 
The multi-space kiosks work similarly to the kiosks in the Racehorse Alley parking garage. All visitors will need to know is their license plate number. 
 
While all parking options still cost the same as they did before, the parking meters and kiosks require a one dollar minimum for credit card users and have a maximum of two hours.
 
Richard Miller, Gettysburg Borough Parking Manager, said, "We've been getting great feedback so far and it's not as complicated [for visitors] as we thought it might be." 
 
The new smart meters and kiosks will give the Borough of Gettysburg the ability to efficiently track valuable data like occupancy, time of day, average pay, etc.
 
The addition of the new smart meters and kiosks is just a small part of a larger plan to revitalize Baltimore Street. You can read the full master plan here. 

​Annually, Destination Gettysburg's board of directors approves more than $50,000 in community donations, spread throughout Adams County. This money is used by other local organizations to host events, beautify the community or to assist with one-time projects to benefit the county for visitors and local residents alike.
 
Recently, Destination Gettysburg pledged donations of $2,500 toward the costs of the annual Halloween and Christmas parades, as well as Gettysburg Garden Club's effort to plant, water and maintain flowers throughout Downtown Gettysburg.
 
Throughout Adams County, Destination Gettysburg has made donations to assist the East Berlin VFW with the restoration of its F-14 Tomcat.
 
"Tourism gives back to the community in many ways economically," said Norris Flowers, President of Destination Gettysburg. "But we, as a fellow community organization, believe it's important to support the efforts and projects of groups throughout Adams County."
 
Coming up next month, Destination Gettysburg has once again provided the funding for the fireworks for the Fourth of July Community Concert at Gettysburg College.
 
(Pictured are Norris Flowers, left, President of Destination Gettysburg, and Andrea Proulx, right, Chair of Destination Gettysburg's Board of Directors, presenting a check to Karen Szoke, middle, President of the Gettysburg Garden Club).

Visitors spent $691.2 million in Adams County in 2016, according to a recently released report through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. This marks a $4.5 million increase over the previous year.
 
The report breaks down visitor spending into five categories:

• Lodging: $92.9 million
• Dining: $141.1 million
• Shopping: $126.8 million
• Recreation: $165.0 million
• Transportation: $165.4 million

The same study also reported that 5,199 jobs in Adams County were directly supported by tourism in 2016, while an additional 2,659 employees benefited indirectly through service jobs and other businesses that support the tourism industry. More than $146 million was paid in wages to those direct tourism workers.
 
Overall, visitors - both directly and indirectly - contributed $134 million in taxes to federal, state and local governments, according to the report.
 
This report comes on the heels of an announcement that hotel revenue in Adams County recorded a banner year in 2017, generating more than $52 million.

To view the full report, click the link below and scroll to pages 76-82.

>> Download Full Report

​This past weekend, Destination Gettysburg and 14 craft beverage partners launched the official Adams County Pour Tour. This passport-guided beverage trail connects our wine, cider, beer and spirits together in one easy-to-follow experience. The goal is to both increase visitation with new culinary travelers and to extend the stay of existing visitors.
 
The bonus to the program is that our local community is just as excited about the trail as our visitors are.
 
Nearly 200 passports have been requested through the official website, adamscountypourtour.com. This is in addition to the dozens of passports handed out this weekend. Reid's Winery Cider House stamped over 60 passports and Adams County Winery - Wine Shop at 25C already distributed six prizes over the weekend.
 
If you would like official Adams County Pour Tour Map brochures to distribute from your business, please stop by the Administrative Office, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Passports are available at all 14 partner locations. For additional details on the program, download the FAQ here.
 
Questions on the Adams County Pour Tour can be directed to Paige Neidig, Tour Manager, at pourtour@destinationgettysburg.com.  

​Teach & Travel Magazine, the official publication for Student & Youth Travel Association (SYTA) announced in its May edition the top student destinations for 2018.
 
Gettysburg rounded out the Top 10, which also included Washington, DC., Philadelphia, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando and Chicago.
 
"Today, the town of Gettysburg is a prime destination for interactive lessons on history," the magazine noted. The article also mentioned historic sites, ghost tours, as well as nature experiences and theater.
 
Adams County welcomes approximately 15,000 groups annually, many of which are students, especially those who arrive in April and May. Destination Gettysburg's sales staff works year-round with tour operators and group travel leaders to promote group travel, including the student market.
 
>> More about Group Travel in Adams County

​Dr. Matthew Moen, President of the Gettysburg Foundation, has been named to Destination Gettysburg's Board of Directors. Moen takes the place of Cindy Small, also of the Gettysburg Foundation, who retired last month.
 
Moen will serve the remainder of Small's three-year term, which expires Dec. 31, 2020.
 
"As someone who leads one of the centerpieces of visitor experiences in Adams County, Moen will bring a wealth of knowledge to the board of directors," said Norris Flowers, President of Destination Gettysburg. "This appointment will maintain a strong connection between the two organizations."
 
Moen became President of the Gettysburg Foundation in March 2017.
 
"I'm pleased to join the Destination Gettysburg board, and to have the opportunity to support the work of this organization as well as the Gettysburg community," said Moen.
 
Destination Gettysburg's Board of Directors includes 15 members, representing businesses and organizations throughout Adams County.
 
>> Learn More

Destination Gettysburg posts an abundance of content on social media such as monthly cooking videos, local dish spotlights and Gettysburg Road Tripping videos. With the goal to always be improving how we market the destination, the Gettysburg Road Tripping videos were examined and recently reworked into a new format.
 
Traditionally, Road Tripping videos only showcased one location. That one location was talked about, b-roll of the venue was shown and then it was tied into other Gettysburg activities. The new videos will now be more interactive by including multiple stops and featuring the host personally experiencing each stop. Each video will be presented as a themed itinerary.
 
"These new videos will be more inspirational to our visitors," said Paige Neidig, Content Manager and Gettysburg Road Tripping host. "They will learn about experiences in Adams County and watch someone else enjoy each location. In turn, we think they'll be more inspired to plan their own Gettysburg road trips."

>> Check out the Spring Getaway Road Tripping Video

​The momentum from a successful 2017 season in Adams County tourism has spilled over into the first quarter of this year with both hotel demand and revenue increasing significantly.
 
Through March, the number of hotel rooms sold in Adams County was 72,468, marking an increase of 10.8 percent over the same months in 2017, according to Smith Travel Research (STR). In addition, the revenue generated in the first quarter of 2018 exceeded $5.8 million, an increase of 9.2 percent. Yearly revenue in 2017 set an all-time record of $52 million.
 
STR measures and estimates data compiled by hotels throughout Adams County. A similar, but separate report, calculates data submitted by bed and breakfasts.
 
B&Bs posted increases of 22.6 percent in demand and 10.3 percent in revenue for the first quarter of 2018. Revenue among eight participating B&Bs, neared $300,000 for the three-month period.
 
Both B&Bs and hotel properties, however, posted declines in the average daily rate (ADR) charged to overnight guests, at -10 percent and -1.5 percent, respectively.