LOVEwork

Dear Tourism Partners,

Happy Valentine’s Day from the state tourism office that lays claim to Love! Because of course Virginia is For Lovers, and has been for over 50 years now. Please allow VTC to express our best wishes for all our industry partners, their SOs, gal-entines, or whatever you might call them.

And in the spirit of self-love (very important these days), the Pulse is full of VTC news this month on funding sources, education resources, and staff updates, so you can always find the best advice for your project. We even have one VTC staffer returning. He must really love working here.

Again thanks for all you do to promote Virginia, and as always your #1 resource is here: www.vatc.org.

VTC Grant Funding Programs

VTC Grant Funding Programs Closing Soon

The application period for the Destination Marketing Organization Marketing Program, Special Events & Festivals Program, and Marketing Leverage Program closes February 28, 2023. For information on eligibility, match and maximum awards, please visit vatc.org/grants.

VTC Orientation - Save the Date!

Register for the VTC Virtual Orientation

Join VTC March 7-9, 9 am to 12 pm, for a three-day virtual Orientation where you meet VTC marketing, funding and development staff, learn about VTC’s programs, hear industry partner successes and explore how to Maximize Your Tourism Potential. *see Agenda.

Questions? Contact Wirt Confroy, wconfroy@virginia.org or 804-545-5552.

Register Now

Register Now for the 2023 Visitor Center Seminar

2023 Visitor Center Seminar - March 20-22

Please plan to join us March 20-22 in lovely Stafford, VA at the Holiday Inn Conference Center. Tour Stafford will be our locality host for this annual event and they are planning a memorable experience. Registration can be found here.

Please contact Val Guffy vguffy@virginia.org for any additional information.

Dan Roberts Returns to VTC

Dan Roberts has returned to VTC as Vice President of Research and Strategy. In this new role, Roberts will lead the data & analytics and travel research programs for VTC, generating data-driven insights to lead decision making for the entire agency. He will be the technical expert in matters pertaining to tourism statistics and trends, including measuring the effectiveness of VTC’s advertising programs, the performance and trajectory of the tourism economy in Virginia relative to economy-wide and competitive trends, and the tourism economy contribution to the Commonwealth’s economy as a whole.

Ryan Winfree Joins International Marketing Team

VTC is pleased to announce Ryan Winfree has accepted the International Marketing Manager position. Ryan will support VTC’s tourism marketing initiatives in Canada, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Ryan will coordinate logistical components of VTC’s international activities, travel trade outreach, media and trade site inspection tours, and social media efforts. Additionally, Ryan will assist with the Capital Region USA tour operator and PR initiatives in the UK, Germany, and France.

Virginia Green Travel

The 10th Annual Virginia Green Travel Conference is March 21-22, 2023 at the Virginia Beach Convention Center! Come join us in Virginia Beach for 2 days of fun, learning, and networking, featuring keynote speakers Jennifer Lawson of Keep America Beautiful & Erik Hansen of the US Travel Association's Sustainable Travel Coalition project....and an amazing boat ride to see the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project! Full conference details are here!

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Visit VATC.org for up-to-date information.