Community leaders, business owners and residents will gather Tuesday to discuss the opportunities and challenges that come with one of Carbon County’s largest industries.

The 2025 Tourism Summit will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Mauch Chunk Opera House in Jim Thorpe. The event is hosted by state Sen. David G. Argall and state Rep. Doyle Heffley.

Argall said more than 70 people attended the last summit, where participants offered suggestions on strengthening the economy and revitalizing local neighborhoods.

“This year our key question is: How can we encourage visitors to Jim Thorpe to explore other local communities and attractions?” Argall said in a Facebook post.

Parking for the summit will be available in the Carbon County lot. A shuttle will run between the lot and the Opera House.

Heffley, also on social media, said tourism continues to be a vital part of the local economy.

“There is no denying that tourism is one of the top industries in the Carbon County region,” he said. “The tourism industry employs over 4,000 people in Carbon County. In Jim Thorpe, the visitors center at the train station serves 400,000 visitors yearly. The direct benefits of visitor spending are very important to Carbon County’s economy with guest spending up 32 percent since 2019 at $600 million.”

According to Heffley, feedback from the previous Carbon County and Beyond Regional Tourism Summit provided valuable insight into both the benefits and strains of the industry.

“Tourism, while welcome, is placing a strain on some resources in Jim Thorpe Borough, specifically parking, traffic congestion and housing affordability,” Heffley said.

He added that many participants expressed the view that other municipalities and attractions in the region could benefit if more visitors were encouraged to venture outside Jim Thorpe.

“With appropriate planning and resources investments, there are several locations in the region that could serve as tourist destinations in the future,” he said.

Organizers said they expect the upcoming summit to attract a wide range of perspectives, from business owners who rely on tourism to residents who experience the day-to-day impact of heavy visitor traffic.

Argall emphasized that the ongoing discussion is intended to identify strategies that will help expand the economic impact of tourism while ensuring local communities remain livable.

“We’re looking forward to discussing many of the latest initiatives to attract visitors to Carbon County and beyond,” he said.