LOVEwork

Dear Tourism Partners,

While we wait for the proverbial Spring snow here in Richmond, things are blooming, especially ideas around the impact that technology has on marketing. And the biggest buzz revolves around Artificial Intelligence, “Will AI take my job”, and similar scary questions. In our view, the answer is a solid no. According to the AMA, people will still be vital to interpret the data these tools create, especially given their relative flaws. If you’ve ever used ChatGPT or its siblings, you know it can’t replace humans right now.

So don’t sweat the AI, to coin a phrase, because it’s still people who are the face (literally) of the tourism industry, and it will be a long, long time before a robot works the front desk at your favorite hotel. These are just tools, and like any tools we’ll learn to use them to our advantage to build better relationships and experiences for our visitors.

As always, your #1 VTC resource is here: www.vatc.org.

Update your Content on Virginia.org

We Need Your Spring Content and Meeting Venue Updates

Spring is almost here! Please update your spring festivals, deals and packages on Virginia.org. Contact Robin Mamunes with questions, rmamunes@virginia.org.

Please also update your meeting venue information and be sure to include your meeting room specifications. Contact Stephanie Kenney with questions, skenney@virginia.org.

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Last Call: Register for the 2023 Visitor Center Seminar

2023 Visitor Center Seminar - March 20-22

The 2023 Visitor Centers Seminar is approaching fast! 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.

IPW 2023

Join us in San Antonio, Texas for the travel industry’s premier international marketplace and the largest generator of travel to the United States. This year’s show is May 20-24, 2023. If you are interested in joining the VTC booth, please contact Ryan Winfree. Limited spaces available.

VTC Grants Staff Update

VTC congratulates Angela Wiggins, VTC Grants Manager, on her retirement. Angela has been in public service for over 30 years, and she has set the bar high for her commitment to the tourism industry and tourism partners. Effective immediately, please reach out to the VTC Grants Team on any grant related questions or concerns. You can reach Staci Martin, Grants Director, at smartin@virginia.org or 757-390-7330 and Noah Salaah ad-Deen, Grants Coordinator, at nssaddeen@virginia.org or 804-545-5518.  Please continue to mail reimbursement requests and final reports as normal to: Attn: Grants Team - Virginia Tourism Corporation 901 East Cary Street, Richmond, VA 23219.

Virginia Green Travel


The 10th Annual Virginia Green Travel Conference is March 21-22, 2023 at the Virginia Beach Convention Center!  

This year, the conference is presented in partnership with Keep Virginia Beautiful in honor of their 70th anniversary. We'll be featuring how important it is to Virginia's tourism industry that communities are clean and green and focused on sustainability! Keynote speakers are Jennifer Lawson, CEO of Keep America Beautiful & Erik Hansen of the US Travel Association's Sustainable Travel Coalition project, and our crazy fun Virginia Green Travel Star Awards reception will be hosted by VTC's Rita McClenny! Full conference details are here!
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Visit VATC.org for up-to-date information.