If you want to boil Chris Barrett’s career down to one core goal, it’s to sell the Poconos to the world.

It’s a hefty responsibility promoting 2,400 square miles of vacation destinations, but he is the perfect man for the job.

Barrett took the helm of the president and CEO of the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau last April, bringing along with him a wealth of experience in the tourism and advertising industries.

“I work with a wonderful and dedicated team charged with marketing and advertising the Poconos. We market the Poconos product outside of the destination,” Barrett said.

“We educate the potential guest on the vastness and diversity of the product and provide them the tools to plan a vacation.”

Barrett’s career has seen him work with Hershey Entertainment Resorts for 20 years, followed by seven years as the president and CEO of the PA Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Lancaster).

Over the past four years, he’s been executive vice president/COO/CFO at Target Media and Target Digital in Harrisburg, handling clients both local and national.

When the opportunity to head the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau popped up with Carl Wilgus retiring after 10 years, Barrett went for it.

After all, he had tried for the job in the past, and with his additional experience, he was a prime candidate.

“We had both interviewed for the position in the past, and Carl got the job. It’s kind of funny, now I’m back here taking over for him,” Barrett said.

Over the course of the past year, Barrett and his crew have been transitioning the bureau to a new model, focused on handling campaigns and advertisements, including television spots and digital marketing, in-house. Having run his own advertising firm, he knows the job inside and out.

“Digital marketing will continue to evolve and only get more user friendly,” Barrett said.

“We will always need to exploit it fully to tell our story. Good storytelling will never go out of style, only the delivery of that message will.”

One of the newest campaigns for the bureau, Pocono Mountains Magazine, features two-minute videos that focus on year-round vacation hot spots found throughout the region.

As Barrett put it, the length of the videos allows for more of a narrative instead of 30-second commercial pitch, providing a compact look at places to hike, bike, ski, swim and relax.

Barrett said, those year-round attractions make the Poconos a rarity in the field of tourism.

The wealth of natural attractions spanning each season offer plenty to explore, and with the advent of the all-inclusive resorts such as Kalahari and Woodloch, there’s something to please just about every visitor.

“It’s the natural beauty of the destination, and the diversity of the product, as well as its strong seasonality,” Barrett said.

“My favorite part is the nature beauty. You can’t beat it.”

Over the course of the past 30 years, Barrett said, the concept of the Poconos has morphed into something new, providing somewhat of a challenge to the Visitors Bureau.

What used to be an area dotted with luxury destinations for the wealthy has expanded to cater to all sorts of vacationers with different preferences.

Fortunately, Barrett and his crew are up to the task.

“I welcome the challenges,” he said.

“Every day is new and exciting. I love to meet our members and find new and collaborative ways to get the word out.”

And even with all the ski resorts, state parks, water parks and more, there’s a novel niche market for those who just want to enjoy some the good old-fashioned small-town atmosphere in areas like Jim Thorpe and Palmerton.

No matter what a visitor is looking for, Barrett said, they can find a perfect vacation destination in the Poconos, and he is proud to promote the area for anyone and everyone to enjoy.

“The Poconos is Americana,” Barrett said.

“Families having a great time enjoying the country, that’s what it’s really about.”