Read my upcoming stories about tourism in Gettysburg and Lancaster County (to appear in Sunday's paper), and you'll see that one of the worst things that can happen is for someone to visit a place and find that the reality doesn't match the image they've been sold by the destination's marketing folks.
Word of mouth is powerful. So are advertising campaigns. But if someone comes to Lancaster County, they want to see rolling farmland and silos and Amish kids speeding down country lanes on scooters or quaint shops like this image I caught in my rearview mirror.
If all they see is the kitsch and commercialization and chain operations along Route 30, do you think they'll want to come back? (Unless they're really into outlet shopping.)
Jen--last Monday evening the West Manchester Township Historical Society hosted a presentation by a man from Lancaster whose name I cannot remember, but I think he's an "official" tour guide there, for whatever that's worth. He does an hour-long slide show of his own photos on tourism in the Lancaster area and what you mention in this post is exactly what his spiel is about. He does a good job of explaining the various sects and their differences and he also dispels many of the myths most people have about the Amish, Mennonites, and the Plain and Fancy people, and with doses of some good, sometimes not-so-good humor. If you ever get an opportunity to hear him it's worth the hour of time.