As it continues to grapple with increasing overtourism, Jim Thorpe Borough is exploring the possibility of implementing a filming ordinance.

“We currently don’t have any official requirements for filming,” Brooke Klotz, Jim Thorpe borough secretary, said in a council workshop meeting last week. “HGTV recently contacted us about filming an episode of House Hunters and we are getting more and more requests of that same nature.”

Klotz said the increased attention Jim Thorpe gets through such shows keeps drawing more and more visitors to the area.

“People see the borough on TV and want to visit, contributing to overtourism,” she said. “Implementing some type of permit and fee could help offset public safety costs, one of the key issues with overtourism.”

Borough Manager Maureen Sterner suggested council research the matter further and reach out to its attorney, James Nanovic, to find out policies or permits it can put in place and if anything already on the books would cover it.

Mayor Eric Cinicola recalled past filming experiences in the area.

“A few years ago, a horror movie was filmed down by our business,” he said. “At that point there was nothing preventing such. There were some traffic issues. One day barricades were put up. We got the police department involved and everything worked out, but I think it would be a good idea to adopt a filming ordinance.”

Several other Pennsylvania municipalities already have such regulations, according to their websites. New Hope Borough, which is also heavily impacted by tourism, charges a $500 non-refundable permit fee, while Lower Merion Township requires a $100 permit application 30 days in advance.