Screenshot from the first Warren County Visitor’s Bureau video on YouTube.

Why do people come to Warren County?

The Warren County Visitor’s Bureau is hoping that the answer to that question will be because of the videos.

The WCVB has been working with Jay Witowsky of Continuum Creative Media since winter of 2017 on a set of videos showcasing what makes Warren County a prime destination. The videos are the first efforts of the WCVB since the two percent increase in the occupancy tax in Warren County went into effect this year.

“We know the word tax is negative,” explained WCVB Director Dave Sherman. But that increase from three to five percent in the county’s occupancy tax is already being put to good use with the contract the visitor’s bureau has entered into with Continuum Creative Media. The contract is for the production of a total of three videos promoting Warren County this year.

The first, said Sherman, was more difficult than expected. “It was dedicated to winter and shortly after Christmas,” said Sherman, “it never snowed and stuck for any length of time. It’s a challenge to highlight a winter wonderland in Warren County when you arrive at Winterfest in a tee shirt and apply sunscreen because it’s 60 degrees outside.”

The second video, unveiled Monday at the Warren County Fair’s media luncheon, highlights Warren County’s summer attractions, including the mountain bike trails at Jake’s Rocks, the Allegheny Reservoir and Kinzua Dam, Music in the Park, Heart’s Content and the Tidioute Overlook scenic areas, and the general outdoor opportunities during a Warren County Summer.

“The second video was a lot of fun for the people in it,” said Sherman, “and hopefully for the ones filming it as well.” The only problem with the second video, said Sherman, is that it “gave us 100 more ideas of what to film for video number three.”

Number three, Sherman said, is intended to bridge the gap and showcase Warren County’s autumn attractions. “We think we’ll be off and running by the end of the month,” said Sherman of the third video in the contract, “but probably looking to stall a little and capture some of Warren County’s fall moments.”

If all goes as planned, said Sherman, the third video should be wrapped up sometime in October “and we’ll look toward number four in 2018.”

“This county is so attractive to visitors from all over the world,” said Sherman. “And many of our local citizens have no idea it is happening. We’ve had citizens from Taiwan, the Netherlands, Australia, etc., as well as from all over the United States float right here under the Hickory Street Bridge in a kayak.”

Meanwhile, said Sherman, local residents of the county often lament that there’s nothing to do here. “We are working to change that misconception.”

Ultimately, said Sherman, the goal is simply to “slowly but steadily continue to reach more people via social media and make them aware that we are a fun but affordable place to go and have a blast, whether it’s riding a mountain bike on the Trails at Jake’s Rocks, riding on or behind a boat on the reservoir, going to a show at the newly renovated Struther’s Library Theatre, or simply going to Music in the Park on a Friday or Saturday night in Warren or Youngsville. The options go on and on, especially in the summer.”

The new video can be found by searching YouTube for “WCVB Summer Video.” Subscribe to the Warren County Visitor’s Bureau YouTube channel to be updated on future videos.