SAXONBURG — There were four special visitors among the more than 200 people on Thursday who attended the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau's annual Toast to Tourism.

The visitors from Muhlhausen, Germany, which is Saxonburg's German sister city, were Lord Mayor Johannes Bruns; his wife; Frank Moeller, who works for the government; and Martin Fromm, who is involved in tourism in Muhlhausen.

They arrived Monday and left today.

“Saxonburg is a beautiful city,” Bruns said at the event at Cooper Hall.

After beginning in English, he resumed to speaking his native German, translated by Moeller.

In 2008, the borough joined Sister Cities International and later wrote a letter to officials in Muhlhausen, which is the birthplace of John Roebling, who founded Saxonburg and later designed the Brooklyn Bridge.

Borough officials visited Muhlhausen in 2008, and Muhlhausen officials visited Saxonburg. A few other trips took place since then.

“We have a really deep friendship. It's something like family,” Bruns said.

He noted that Roebling built the Brooklyn Bridge, and that the people of the two communities also have built a bridge.

“It is really important to build such bridges,” Bruns said.

He noted that it is the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. In April 1945, he said American soldiers came to Muhlhausen and liberated it.

“For this, we are thankful, because it was the start for us to have democracy,” Bruns said.

He said he wants to get more people from Saxonburg to visit Muhlhausen, and said he would like more people from Muhlhausen to come to Saxonburg. If anyone comes to Germany, he said they can go to Berlin and other major cities, but they also should stop at Muhlhausen.

“You're invited,” Bruns said.

Tourism statewide

Carrier Fischer Lepore, deputy secretary of the state office of marketing, tourism and film, was the keynote speaker.

She said that in 2013, the latest in which statistics are available, the state received 192.9 million travelers, with tourism sales of $39.2 billion. Tourism generated 479,000 jobs that year, she said.

“The continued success of Pennsylvania's industry wouldn't be possible without all of you,” she said.

In Butler County, she said that the number of hotel rooms has increased from 1,409 in 2009 to 2,065 in 2014.

In honor of the 75th anniversary of the invention of the Jeep, she said she hopes that the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival in the county regains the world record for largest Jeep parade. The record was beaten this year by a Florida event called Jeep Beach.

“We're all pulling for you,” she said.

Grants awarded

The bureau also announced grants to organizations.

Steve Catt, who is on the grant committee, said the grants are to enhance the tourism experience and to increase visitors to the county.

Out of 16 applicants, seven grants were awarded, totaling $29,376. Grants were given to:

• The Butler Freeport Community Trail Council, for a picnic pavilion at a trailhead

• Discover Saxonburg for business cards, brochures, itineraries and signs to build the Discover Saxonburg brand

• Harmony for new signs to guide people around the borough

• Glade Run Lake Conservancy to add an ADA accessible dock

• Allegheny Aquatic Alliance for the Connoquenessing Creek cleanup project

• The Zelienople Historical Society for advertising Zelienople's 175th anniversary celebration in June

• Slippery Rock Development for plaques and maps for the Slippery Rock In Bloom project.

Upcoming events

Jack Cohen, president of the tourism bureau, said there will be several special events this year.

“I will tell you this is a special county,” Cohen said.

In June, Mars will celebrate a special new year's event because that is the time when the planet Mars will have its new year begin. He said NASA will send several representatives to the first Mar's New Years celebration.

He also said Zelienople will celebrate its 175th anniversary soon.

And he said an announcement will come soon regarding the bureau's Kaufman House project, where the former restaurant in Zelienople that has been closed since a 2011 fire will be reopened as a restaurant with a culinary school.

“Soon is coming faster than you think,” Cohen said.