Expand domestic and international in-bound travel and motion picture production to generate revenue and employment in Virginia.

Foster a spirit of partnership within Virginia’s tourism and motion picture industries.

Love is Integrity, Passion, and Results.

Integrity: Be the Best You

• Respect, value, and appreciate others with kindness


• Work through differences


• Be transparent


• Take personal responsibility

Passion: Thirst for Knowledge

• Seek new ideas and fresh thinking


• Stay curious and encourage questions


• Be purpose driven


• Value the people, the brand, and the industry

Results: Move Mountains

• Define, measure, and communicate collective goals


• Continuously evaluate and innovate


• Contribute to the success of others


• Celebrate shared accomplishments

The Virginia Tourism Authority (VTA) is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia authorized to do business as the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC).  The agency was established effective July 1, 1999 (§ 2.2-2315 et seq., Code of Virginia).  Prior to that date, the state’s tourism marketing program was administered by the Division of Tourism within the Virginia Economic Development Partnership.  Under the Code of Virginia, the Virginia Tourism Authority was given broad powers to “…stimulate the tourism segment of the economy by promoting, advertising, and marketing the Commonwealth's many tourist attractions and by coordinating other private and public efforts to do the same…”  The General Assembly also recognized that the “…film industry is a legitimate and important part of economic development in the Commonwealth.”

The VTC has an advisory Board of Directors composed of 17 members, including the Lieutenant Governor, the Secretary of Commerce and Trade, the Secretary of Finance, the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources, the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, and 12 members appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the General Assembly.  The Governor designates the Chairman of the Board and the Board may elect one member to serve as the Vice-Chairman.  The President/CEO of the VTA is appointed by the Governor and reports to the Secretary of Commerce and Trade.  The Board of Directors serves in an advisory capacity to the President/CEO, who serves as the Board’s ex-officio Secretary and Treasurer.

The VTA is headquartered in Richmond.  In addition, the Authority operates 12 state Welcome Centers located strategically around the state to provide information to people traveling in Virginia.

Virginia’s tourism industry continues to set records in its post-pandemic performance. As of 2024, total visitor spending across the Commonwealth totaled $35.1 billion - up by 21% from the pre-pandemic level of $29.1 billion set in 2019. 44.7 million overnight visitors traveled to and within the Commonwealth in 2024, also setting a new record by 3.1% relative to pre-pandemic levels of 43.7 million set in 2019. 

The Virginia Tourism Authority has set a goal of reaching $100 million dollars per day in visitor spending ($36.5 billion on an annual basis) in the calendar year 2025. Set in July 2023, using data as of calendar year 2022, Virginia’s tourism industry has made significant progress towards this goal. As of 2024, Virginia is ranked 10th in total visitor spending nationally, as measured by the US Travel Association. North Carolina is ranked 9th at $36.5 billion and Tennessee is ranked 11th with $31.7 billion. The level of the $100 million per day ($36.5 billion per year) target by 2025 was designed for Virginia’s tourism industry to attempt to catch North Carolina while holding off Tennessee’s accelerating growth. As of 2025, due to continued strong growth even after recovering from the pandemic, Virginia’s tourism industry has narrowed the gap versus North Carolina, and has expanded the gap versus Tennessee’s tourism industry.  This long-term overarching goal will be revisited in early 2026 once a clearer picture of 2025’s calendar year performance is available. 

All of the Authority’s underlying objectives, strategies, and initiatives are in service of this overarching goal. The Agency has four overall objectives:

• 
  

  Accelerate Inbound Visitor Demand

  
  


• 
  

  Maximize Virginia’s Tourism Potential 

  
  


• 
  

  Maximize Virginia’s Content Production 

  
  


• 
  

  Lead with Data Driven Decisions

  
  

These objectives are supported by the Authority’s division-level frameworks and plans, which are referenced in relevant sections throughout the remainder of this Strategic Plan. 

The Virginia Tourism Authority executes its overall tourism strategy with advice from the Board of Directors, in cooperation with the private sector tourism industry, and based on research, its Marketing Framework, its Partnership Marketing Initiatives, and the State Tourism Plan. (The State Tourism Plan, which is currently in the process of being updated, is focused on product development, creative and innovative partnership marketing, and workforce training.) The Authority will continue to identify growth potential and inspire investment from both the public and private sectors in tourism development. It will reinforce its commitment to excellence in marketing, continue advocacy on all levels for public and private tourism investment, and prioritize growth areas to ensure continued visitor spending growth.

Virginia’s motion picture and new media production industry continues to play an increasingly important role in the Commonwealth’s economy. In 2023, production activity generated significant statewide and regional economic impacts, supporting thousands of jobs and driving meaningful growth across related sectors such as hospitality, construction, and professional services.

Statewide, the motion picture and new media production industry supported 3,369 jobs, $305.6 million in labor income, $763.2 million in total economic output, and $102.7 million in total tax revenue, of which $33.9 million represented state and local tax collections.

The motion picture and new media sector continues to strengthen Virginia’s reputation as a premier destination for creative production. Sustained investment in workforce development, digital infrastructure, and competitive incentive programs will be key to maintaining this momentum and positioning the Commonwealth for future growth in this evolving and highly competitive industry.

The Virginia Tourism Authority relies on advanced information technology systems to market and promote the Commonwealth as a premier travel destination. Digital channels continue to serve as the primary means of reaching, engaging, and converting potential travelers—both domestically and internationally.

VTA’s web and digital infrastructure supports the agency’s owned media ecosystem, which includes Virginia.org, VATC.org (VTA’s resource website for Virginia’s tourism industry), Virginia is for Lovers social media platforms, e-mail marketing, and other digital outreach tools. The Virginia.org website remains the central hub for visitor information and marketing integration, featuring real-time travel content, dynamic trip-planning tools, and partner listings from across the state. In addition, as of calendar year 2023, Virginia’s paid media and out of state marketing campaigns efforts have moved nearly completely to all-digital channels such as connected TV, in order to reach more potential travelers across a broader geographic footprint, and to align with how Virginia’s target travelers are spending their time for maximum reachability. In addition, the Authority is exploring the adoption of early-stage customer-facing AI tools for trip and itinerary building on Virginia.org. 

The Authority's internal information technology systems are provided and managed by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership per a Memorandum of Understanding dated July 1, 1999 and amended June 16, 2011.

The Virginia Tourism Authority has been able to retain employees long-term, which has resulted in a stable and high-quality workforce. In recent years, VTA payroll costs have been rising, which reflects the need to be competitive with the private sector to attract the best candidates and to retain well-qualified workers. VTA has been recognized as one of the best tourism offices in the United States and has won awards for its efforts. However, having many long-tenured employees will impact the future of the Authority and succession planning is and will continue to be critical.

The Authority encourages continuing professional development through Innerwill and other outside experts to provide a customized leadership training program for all employees with management responsibilities and to conduct a focus group for younger, nonmanagerial employees regarding the agency's workplace climate.

The Authority relies heavily on part-time staff to operate the state Welcome Centers, with needs changing throughout the year. Slightly more than half of the funds for this come largely from the Virginia Department of Transportation and the sale of brochure display space and advertising panels. The funding, however, has not kept pace with the cost of operations, which puts additional financial pressure on the Authority.

The Virginia Tourism Authority's main office is located at 901 East Cary Street, Richmond, VA 23219. The facility is leased and managed by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership via a Memorandum of Understanding dated July 1, 1999, and amended June 16, 2011. In addition, the Authority operates 12 state Welcome Centers located strategically around the state to provide information to people traveling in Virginia. Two welcome centers were acquired by the Authority – the Danville Welcome Center and the Potomac Gateway Visitor Center in King George County. The Danville Welcome Center was returned to the city in the summer of 2025 and continues to be operated by the City of Danville. In April 2012, the Authority entered into a Concession Agreement with the Dahlgren Heritage Foundation for the operation of the Potomac Gateway property. The agreement allows the Foundation to operate the property as the Dahlgren Heritage Museum. The Dahlgren Heritage Museum serves to tell the story of military history at Dahlgren as well as to promote tourism within the Commonwealth.

Overall, the Virginia Tourism Authority and the Commonwealth’s broader tourism industry face two primary categories of risk: (1) industry and economic growth dynamics, and (2) the adequacy of funding relative to the Authority’s goals.

1. Industry and Economic Growth Dynamics

As noted in the Agency Status section, Virginia’s tourism industry operates in an increasingly competitive environment, particularly relative to neighboring states such as North Carolina and Tennessee. Both states have demonstrated faster growth in visitor spending, tourism employment, and tourism asset development. If Virginia’s visitor spending continues to grow more slowly, the Commonwealth risks losing market share in key performance measures, including overnight visitation, visitor spending, and job creation. This risk extends to the supply side, where slower demand growth can limit private investment in new hotels, attractions, and other tourism infrastructure.

Nearly one-third of Virginia’s hotel room supply and nearly half of hotel room revenue are concentrated in Northern Virginia, meaning that broader economic fluctuations in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area—including changes in federal employment, contracting, and business travel—have a disproportionate effect on the overall performance of Virginia’s tourism industry. These regional dependencies make the Commonwealth’s tourism economy highly sensitive to both national economic cycles and local market dynamics.

2. Appropriation and Funding Risks

The second major risk category centers on the appropriation of funding to the Virginia Tourism Authority. The VTA’s biennial general fund appropriation has remained largely flat for more than a decade, while the cost of doing business and the demand for VTA’s programs from Virginia’s industry partners—particularly media, grant funding, and research—has increased substantially. Additionally, VTA has shown that it can substantially increase reach, awareness, and visitation with enhanced investment in paid media. Both Tennessee and North Carolina dedicate larger and more flexible marketing budgets to tourism promotion. Without similar growth in Virginia’s marketing investment, the state faces the long-term risk of underperforming competitors in awareness, perception, and market share growth.

A related issue concerns the growing expectations of incentives, especially for film production. Currently, many foreign countries and the majority of states, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, offer film incentives. Virginia’s incentive program is relatively small. Tax credits total $6.5 million per year, and an additional $4.0 million annual appropriation is provided for the Governor’s Motion Picture Opportunity Fund. Virginia faces tough global competition that provides much more incentive funding. For example, Georgia, West Virginia, and Massachusetts offer uncapped tax credits, while New York ($420 million/year), Louisiana ($180 million/year), Pennsylvania ($70 million/year), and North Carolina ($31 million/year) offer generous production incentives.

In FY 2023 the Virginia Tourism Authority will operate with a general fund budget of $27 million. These funds support the marketing, visitor services, Virginia Film Office, partnership marketing, and minimal administrative support functions. The Authority aggressively leverages funding and forms partnerships with industry and government entities to extend the reach of its limited budget.

The Virginia Tourism Authority is not on the books of the State Comptroller, so the only funds reflected are general fund appropriations. However, the Authority does receive about $1.3 million annually from the Virginia Department of Transportation ($1.2 million for the operation of the state's 13 Welcome Centers and $125,000 as a pass-through for the Danville Welcome Center, which is locally operated). These funds, however, are not sufficient to fully fund the Welcome Centers' operations, which total over $2.5 million annually.

TThe Virginia Tourism Authority is not on the books of the State Comptroller, so the only funds reflected are general fund appropriations. However, the Authority does receive about $1.3 million annually from the Virginia Department of Transportation ($1.2 million for the operation of the state's 13 Welcome Centers and $125,000 as a pass-through for the Danville Welcome Center, which is locally operated). These funds, however, are not sufficient to fully fund the Welcome Centers' operations, which total over $2.5 million annually.

In addition, the Authority collects almost $1.1 million (projected FY 2023 collections) from a variety of other sources, including brochure rack fees at Welcome Centers and rest areas, royalties from the sale of "Virginia is for Lovers" merchandise, and other miscellaneous fees and collections.

Virginia’s tourism industry continues to set records in its post-pandemic performance. As of 2024, total visitor spending across the Commonwealth totaled $35.1 billion – up by 21% from the pre-pandemic level of $29.1 billion set in 2019. 44.7 million overnight visitors traveled to and within the Commonwealth in 2024, also setting a new record by 3.1% relative to pre-pandemic levels of 43.7 million set in 2019.

The Virginia Tourism Authority has set a goal of reaching $100 million dollars per day in visitor spending ($36.5 billion on an annual basis) in the calendar year 2025. Set in July 2023, using data as of calendar year 2022, Virginia’s tourism industry has made significant progress towards this goal. As of 2024, Virginia is ranked 10th in total visitor spending nationally, as measured by the US Travel Association.

All of the Authority’s underlying objectives, strategies, and initiatives are in service of this overarching goal. The Agency has four overall objectives:

• Maximize Virginia’s Tourism Potential


• Accelerate Inbound Visitor Demand


• Lead with Data-Driven Decisions


• Maximize Virginia’s Content Production

As visitation and industry engagement continue to grow, the Virginia Tourism Authority serves an expanding and increasingly diverse customer base. The Authority’s partnerships with local governments, DMOs, and Certified Tourist Information Centers remain steady, reflecting strong collaboration across Virginia’s tourism network. However, tourism and hospitality businesses—now numbering more than 13,000 —represent a growing segment as more private enterprises seek marketing, research, and grant support through the agency.

At the same time, traveler behavior and partner engagement are being reshaped by the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence and automation tools. Visitors and businesses alike are increasingly turning to AI-driven trip planning, content creation, and customer service platforms, changing how they access and interact with tourism information. Meanwhile, engagement through VTC’s websites and Welcome Centers shows signs of shifting as customer habits evolve to more personalized, AI-enabled digital environments—underscoring the need for ongoing innovation in both digital outreach and in-person services.

The Virginia Tourism Authority provides the following services:

Marketing: Leads all consumer facing communications to key travel audience segments to build brand loyalty & inspiration, increase engagement & consideration, and drive visitation to the Commonwealth.

• Brand Management: The advertising program that develops and promotes the Virginia brand through paid digital media channels targeting markets with the highest potential of visitors to Virginia. The media plan includes buy-downs and cooperative support for Virginia’s tourism industry.  This team is also responsible for social media strategies and content generation for owned social channels (IG, FB, YouTube, Pintrest, etc)


• Digital Marketing: Manages VTA’s primary websites: Virginia.org and VATC.org that consist of trip planning, travel inspiration, and business-to-business web content for Virginia’s tourism industry. They also manage VTA’s Internet communications technologies, innovation and develop web-based business initiatives and partnerships.


• Creative Services: The creative services program provides in-house graphic development and production services for VTA and manages a library of photography, film, videography, and digital graphics files for use in paid, owned & earned channels.


• Communications: Strategic communications for the agency, including public relations, community relations, and Virginia is for Lovers blog. Specifically, they are responsible for generating editorial coverage in key markets to promote Virginia as a premier travel destination. Additional responsibilities include developing talking points for press conferences and interviews with the Governor and First Lady, Secretary of Commerce and Trade, and VTA’s President & CEO.   They also disseminate tourism-related news to the Virginia tourism industry and work with the industry on generating media coverage.


• Global Sales: Develops and implements integrated and innovative direct sales, marketing, promotions, and public relations strategies to bring more foreign visitors and vendors to Virginia. The geographic targets are coordinated with air service to gateway airports and are supported by research.


• Domestic Sales: Markets the Commonwealth as a premier travel destination to tour operators, select travel agents, meeting planners, and sports events rights holders. VTA represents the Commonwealth and provides the Virginia tourism industry with partnership opportunities to collaborate at professional trade shows, sales missions, site inspection tours, and marketing initiatives strategically targeting national, regional, and in-state domestic trade markets.

Film: The Virginia Film Office is committed to attracting film and video production to Virginia and supporting the indigenous production industry, with the ultimate goal of bringing economic and employment benefits to the Commonwealth. Film, video, and multi-media production is a growth industry worldwide, and the potential economic benefits to the state have increased significantly. The Virginia Film Office pursues its goals through the creation and implementation of innovative marketing and development programs, and by delivering exceptional customer service to inspire repeat business.

Research: Driving Insight-Led Decisions for VTA and Its Industry Partners.

The Research Division guides data-driven decision making across the organization and throughout Virginia’s tourism industry. It informs the Authority’s strategic direction by helping to set and evaluate organizational objectives and performance targets, conducting competitive and market analyses, and assessing the potential impact of proposed programs and policies. The division maintains a suite of core weekly, monthly, and annual reporting products that track the health and trajectory of Virginia’s tourism economy while assessing the effectiveness of VTA’s core strategies, ensuring that leadership decisions across the organization are grounded in credible, timely intelligence.

Equally focused on serving both internal and external stakeholders, the division provides insights that help the Authority’s teams plan, measure, and optimize performance while equipping destinations, localities, and industry partners with the data they need to compete effectively and reach the right audiences. As a sharing organization, the Research Division is committed to making tourism data accessible, actionable, and transparent; turning insight into collaboration that drives growth for the Commonwealth’s tourism industry.

Fulfillment: The fulfillment program provides information to, and responds to inquiries from, consumers seeking information on travel and tourism in Virginia. Telephone and Internet inquiries are answered by a consumer services center and VTA publication requests are processed by a fulfillment house that provides storage, processing, delivery, and freight services. In addition, VTA operates a full-service distribution center to process customized and bulk orders and to manage the mailing needs of VTA and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership.

Welcome Centers: Virginia’s welcome centers are designed to be first-stop destinations for the traveling public, strategically and conveniently located throughout Virginia on major arterial highways. VTA provides a broad array of services to visitors, including personal travel counseling, informational materials, transportation maps, and lodging reservation assistance. In addition, the welcome center program serves Virginia’s tourism industry by promoting a variety of destinations and attractions through advertising opportunities, product demonstrations and exhibits, and the distribution of travel publications.

Partnership Marketing collaborates with our industry partners to help maximize Virginia’s tourism potential.

• From strategic tourism planning and focused tourism product development, to cooperative marketing grants and stakeholder education, Partnership Marketing works with Viginia’s tourism industry to grow our industry.


• Tourism Planning: VTA provides communities and tourism entrepreneurs with tourism planning expertise and support. It assists with strategic planning, product planning, and identifying funding resources (including grant opportunities and other options for stretching limited resources) to develop and market the Commonwealth’s tourism product.


• State Tourism Plan: VTA has developed a comprehensive 2026-2029 state tourism plan, which provides a thorough assessment of the tourism needs in each of Virginia’s 10 tourism regions. This plan provides a competitive analysis of the state, including recommendations on increasing visitation through focused product development, promotions, and policies to support the power of the “Visitor Economy”.


• Cooperative Marketing Grants: Industry partners need help in extending their limited marketing investments. VTA’s grants program provides supplemental financial assistance to Virginia destination marketing organizations and tourism businesses. The competitive grants application is a public-private process designed to leverage scarce resources, promote the Virginia is for Lover’s brand, encourage the creation of partnerships, and enhance the development and marketing of Virginia’s tourism assets.


• Tourism Development Financing Program: In areas of the Commonwealth where there is deficiency in lodging, VTA helps to administer and promote a financing program for qualified tourism-related development projects (the Tourism Development Financing Program/TDFP). This program provides gap financing to compensate for a shortfall in project funding in partnership with developers, localities, and financial institutions.

• Drive Tourism Initiative: Communities across Virginia can participate in the Drive Tourism workshops, which focus on building competitive destinations with a goal of increased travelers, as well as extending average length of stay and daily expenditures. In the past 4 years, more than sixty communities have participated in this program to help build vibrant communities that appeal to travelers as well as residents.

In addition, Partnership Marketing employs Destination Marketing Managers who live in areas with high potential to assist those regions with strategic planning, development, and co-operative marketing.

Performance Highlights

Over the past biennium, the Virginia Tourism Authority (VTA) made measurable progress toward its two overarching objectives: (1) Maximize Virginia’s Tourism Potential and (2) Accelerate Inbound Visitor Demand.

Under Maximize Virginia’s Tourism Potential, VTA set an ambitious goal of assisting 7,500 businesses, entrepreneurs, and organizations in calendar year (CY) 2025. As of the end of Q3 2025, the Authority is on track to meet this target, having already recorded 5,799 partner interactions, exceeding prior-year totals of 4,729 in 2022 and 5,122 in 2023. This objective and data point reflects the Authority's role across Virginia’s tourism sector, providing critical front-line assistance during major disruptions, such as Hurricane Helene in Southwest Virginia.The Authority has also maintained strong demand for the Tourism Development Financing Program, with six projects expected to be certified between 2022 and 2025. 

Under Accelerate Inbound Visitor Demand, the Authority has transformed its traveler-facing marketing strategy to strengthen competitiveness and sustain Virginia’s post-pandemic recovery. Leveraging one-time federal funding, VTA significantly expanded its marketing footprint through an all-digital, data-driven approach designed to maximize efficiency and reach. The campaign’s success is reflected in record audience engagement—household awareness reached 51% as of Q3 2025, and households reached quadrupled from 5.68 million in 2021 to 23.6 million in 2025.

These results demonstrate Virginia’s growing tourism competitiveness and VTA’s effectiveness in driving performance across both business development and consumer marketing—ensuring a strong foundation for continued growth heading into the next biennium.

Maximize efforts to accelerate the demand for inbound visitors through marketing, thus creating awareness of Virginia's tourism product and bringing more leisure travelers to the Commonwealth. Increase the effectiveness and integration of marketing strategies, including audiences and geographies targeted, tactics applied, and alignment across owned, earned, and paid media channels, to ultimately bring more visitors to the Commonwealth.

Boost awareness and recognition of the flagship marketing campaign among target households to strengthen brand visibility and drive engagement.

• Increase overall household awareness to 40%

Expand visibility and engagement among traveling households in key target markets to increase awareness, visitation, and conversion potential.

• Increase households reached to 18,700,000

Increase direct hotel bookings at Virginia properties by leveraging VTC’s marketing campaigns to convert traveler interest into on-site reservations.

• Increase hotel bookings to 40,000

Strengthen Virginia’s tourism recovery by stimulating visitor interest and increasing overnight stays, leading to sustained growth in hotel performance statewide.

• Increase number of hotel roomnights to 38,000,000

Tourism serves as the front porch of economic development, and communities across Virginia are recognizing its power to drive business attraction, development, and retention. Through strategic tourism planning, targeted product development, cooperative marketing grants, and industry education, VTC’s Partnership Marketing division collaborates with localities, tourism partners, and elected leaders to strengthen the Commonwealth’s tourism ecosystem.

Support business growth through VTC’s strategic programs and initiatives that empower partners and strengthen Virginia’s tourism industry.

• Increase the number of businesses, entrepreneurs and organizations assisted

Support Virginia job growth through executing the Tourism Development Financing Program (TDFP) projects which address lodging deficiencies in communities with high tourism potential but inadequate assets

• Increase the number of certified TDFP projects

Virginia’s film and new media industry is a vital contributor to the Commonwealth’s economy, driving job creation, high-wage employment, and regional investment. The industry continues to show strong growth and resilience, fueling economic activity across the state while reinforcing Virginia’s reputation as a dynamic hub for creative production.

Strengthen Virginia’s film workforce by encouraging large-scale productions to hire more in-state crew, building local expertise and industry capacity by 2025.

• Increase VA resident crew

Grow Virginia’s film industry by attracting more productions that contribute to job creation, local spending, and overall economic growth across the state.

• Increase number of VA filmed projects

VTA grounds its strategies, objectives, and performance targets in credible, timely intelligence drawn from comprehensive reporting, competitive analysis, and policy evaluation. By making data accessible and actionable for both internal teams and industry partners, the Authority ensures decisions are aligned, effective, and focused on driving growth across Virginia’s tourism economy. The Division does not own any quantitative objectives, as it is responsible for tracking, calculating, and reporting the Authority's objectives and outcomes, as well as the trajectory of Virginia's overall tourism industry.

VTA’s marketing activities include a number of domestic and international programs aimed at promoting Virginia as a premier travel destination, including brand management, creative services, national and international media relations, domestic sales, international trade and sales, promotions, digital marketing, merchandising, and research.

The visitor services program develops overall strategies for sound customer and visitor relations and information distribution systems. It manages activities aimed at providing superior customer service, evaluating and improving customer fulfillment functions, and increasing community outreach. VTA works cooperatively with the Virginia Department of Transportation in the operations of the state’s Welcome Centers to promote and encourage traveler visitation to Virginia.

The partnership marketing program works closely with communities throughout Virginia through tourism development and grant programs. It provides communities and tourism entrepreneurs with tourism planning expertise and support. It also assists with strategic planning, product planning, and identifying funding resources to achieve the planning goals and grow the Commonwealth’s tourism product. In addition, the program is a resource for the industry to seek and secure grants to supplement marketing and product development programs. The Authority works closely with Virginia’s localities and attractions to identify grant opportunities and options for stretching limited resources to market the Commonwealth’s tourism product.

The Virginia Film Office is committed to attracting film and video production to Virginia and supporting the indigenous production industry, with the ultimate goal of bringing economic and employment benefits to the Commonwealth. Film, video, and multi-media production is a growth industry worldwide, and the potential economic benefits to the state have increased significantly. The Virginia Film Office pursues its goals through the creation and implementation of innovative marketing and development programs, and by delivering exceptional customer service to inspire repeat business.

This service area directly aligns with the Virginia Tourism Authority's mission of promoting and developing the tourism and motion picture industries to stimulate Virginia's economy and enhance the quality of life of all Virginians.

§ 2.2-2315 et seq., Code of Virginia (Virginia Tourism Authority)

§ 58.1-3851.1, Code of Virginia (Entitlement to tax revenues from tourism project)

§ 58.1-3851.2, Code of Virginia (Entitlement to tax revenues from tourism project of regional significance)

In FY 2023 the Virginia Tourism Authority will operate with a general fund budget of $27 million. These funds support the marketing, visitor services, Virginia Film Office, partnership marketing, and minimal administrative support functions. The Authority aggressively leverages funding and forms partnerships with industry and government entities to extend the reach of its limited budget.

The Virginia Tourism Authority is not on the books of the State Comptroller, so the only funds reflected are general fund appropriations. However, the Authority does receive about $1.3 million annually from the Virginia Department of Transportation (about $1.2 million for the operation of the state's 12 Welcome Centers and $125,000 as a pass-through for the Danville Welcome Center, which is locally operated). These funds, however, are not sufficient to fully fund the Welcome Centers' operations, which total over $2.6 million annually.

VTA’s marketing activities include a number of domestic and international programs aimed at promoting Virginia as a premier travel destination, including brand management, creative services, national and international media relations, domestic sales, international trade and sales, promotions, digital marketing, merchandising, and research.

The visitor services program develops overall strategies for sound customer and visitor relations and information distribution systems. It manages activities aimed at providing superior customer service, evaluating and improving customer fulfillment functions, and increasing community outreach. VTA works cooperatively with the Virginia Department of Transportation in the operations of the state’s Welcome Centers to promote and encourage traveler visitation to Virginia.

The partnership marketing program works closely with communities throughout Virginia through tourism development and grant programs. It provides communities and tourism entrepreneurs with tourism planning expertise and support. It also assists with strategic planning, product planning, and identifying funding resources to achieve the planning goals and grow the Commonwealth’s tourism product. In addition, the program is a resource for the industry to seek and secure grants to supplement marketing and product development programs. The Authority works closely with Virginia’s localities and attractions to identify grant opportunities and options for stretching limited resources to market the Commonwealth’s tourism product.

The Virginia Film Office is committed to attracting film and video production to Virginia and supporting the indigenous production industry, with the ultimate goal of bringing economic and employment benefits to the Commonwealth. Film, video, and multi-media production is a growth industry worldwide, and the potential economic benefits to the state have increased significantly. The Virginia Film Office pursues its goals through the creation and implementation of innovative marketing and development programs, and by delivering exceptional customer service to inspire repeat business.

This service area directly aligns with the Virginia Tourism Authority's mission of promoting and developing the tourism and motion picture industries to stimulate Virginia's economy and enhance the quality of life of all Virginians.

§ 2.2-2315 et seq., Code of Virginia (Virginia Tourism Authority)

§ 58.1-3851.1, Code of Virginia (Entitlement to tax revenues from tourism project)

§ 58.1-3851.2, Code of Virginia (Entitlement to tax revenues from tourism project of regional significance)

The Virginia Tourism Authority provides the following services:

Brand Management:  The advertising program develops and promotes the Virginia brand through social media, broadcast, and digital media.  The media plan targets frequent travelers within markets that provide the highest potential number of visitors to Virginia.  The media plan includes buy-downs and cooperative support for Virginia’s tourism industry.

Digital Marketing:  The digital marketing program manages VTA’s three primary websites: virginia.org, blog.virginia.org, and vatc.org. Virginia.org and blog.virginia.org are trip planning and travel inspiration websites for consumers, while vatc.org is a business-to-business website for Virginia’s tourism industry.  Digital marketing manages VTA’s Internet communications technologies and develops web-based business initiatives and partnerships.  Digital marketing also regularly educates the industry on the use of online technologies, marketing strategies, and the benefits of full participation in VTA’s consumer website.  In addition, digital marketing manages VTC’s robust social media program.

Grants:  The grants program provides supplemental financial assistance to Virginia destination marketing organizations and tourism businesses.  The competitive grants application process is designed to leverage scarce resources, promote the Virginia is for Lovers brand, encourage the creation of partnerships, and enhance the development and marketing of Virginia’s tourism product.  In addition, VTA works to identify and publicize other grant opportunities available to the state’s tourism industry from federal, state, and private sources.

Film: The Virginia Film Office is committed to attracting film and video production to Virginia and supporting the indigenous production industry, with the ultimate goal of bringing economic and employment benefits to the Commonwealth. Film, video, and multi-media production is a growth industry worldwide, and the potential economic benefits to the state have increased significantly. The Virginia Film Office pursues its goals through the creation and implementation of innovative marketing and development programs, and by delivering exceptional customer service to inspire repeat business.

Communications: The communications program is responsible for generating editorial coverage in targeted national, regional, and in-state publications for promotion of Virginia as a premier travel destination. Communications also provides VTA with visibility in niche publications to promote special and unique attractions in Virginia. The program also is responsible for developing talking points for press conferences and interviews with the Governor and First Lady. In addition, it disseminates tourism-related news to the Virginia tourism industry and works with the industry on generating media coverage.

Global Marketing:  The global marketing program develops and implements integrated direct sales, marketing, promotions, and public relations strategies that are innovative in order to bring more foreign visitors and vendors to Virginia.  The geographic targets are coordinated with air service to gateway airports and are supported by research.

Domestic Sales:  VTA markets the Commonwealth as a premier travel destination to tour operators, select travel agents, meeting planners, and sports events rights holders.  VTA represents the Commonwealth and provides the Virginia tourism industry with partnership opportunities to collaborate at professional trade shows, sales missions, site inspection tours, and marketing initiatives strategically targeting national, regional, and in-state domestic trade markets.

Research:  The research program utilizes a wide range of tourism industry data, metrics, and insights in order to quantify Virginia’s tourism industry and measure organizational goals that are aligned with VTA’s overall strategy.  The aims of VTA’s research program are to measure tourism industry performance, conduct consumer studies, and perform competitive industry analysis.  The research program works with internal and external partners in primary survey data and segmentation analysis, developing domestic and international visitor profiles, calculating domestic and international market shares, and determining the economic and fiscal impact of tourism on the state and localities.  The program also provides detailed and timely information for VTA to measure the benefit-cost ratio of its integrated marketing, digital media, and incentive programs.

Creative Services:  The creative services program provides in-house graphic development and production services for VTA. VTA’s library of photography, film, videography, and digital graphics files is managed by creative services.

Fulfillment:  The fulfillment program provides information to, and responds to inquiries from, consumers seeking information on travel and tourism in Virginia.  Telephone and Internet inquiries are answered by a consumer services center and VTA publication requests are processed by a fulfillment house that provides storage, processing, delivery, and freight services.  In addition, VTA operates a full-service distribution center to process customized and bulk orders and to manage the mailing needs of VTA and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership.

Welcome Centers:  Virginia’s welcome centers are designed to be first-stop destinations for the traveling public, strategically and conveniently located throughout Virginia on major arterial highways.  VTA provides a broad array of services to the visitor, including personal travel counseling, informational materials, transportation maps, and lodging reservation assistance.  In addition, the welcome center program serves Virginia’s tourism industry by promoting a variety of destinations and attractions through advertising opportunities, product demonstrations and exhibits, and the distribution of travel publications.

Tourism Planning:  VTA provides communities and tourism entrepreneurs with tourism planning expertise and support.  It assists with strategic planning, product planning, and identifying funding resources (including grant opportunities and other options for stretching limited resources) to develop and market the Commonwealth’s tourism product.

State Tourism Plan:  VTA has developed a comprehensive state tourism plan, which provides a thorough assessment of the tourism needs in each of Virginia’s tourism regions.  This plan provides a competitive analysis of the state, including recommendations on increasing visitation through focused product development, promotions, improvements to infrastructure, and policies at the state and local level to support tourism economic development.  VTA will be updating the plan this biennium.

Tourism Development Financing:  VTA helps to administer and promote a financing program for qualified tourism-related development projects (the Tourism Development Financing Program).  This program provides gap financing to compensate for a shortfall in project funding in partnership with developers, localities, and financial institutions.

In FY 2023 the Virginia Tourism Authority will operate with a general fund budget of $27 million. These funds support the marketing, visitor services, Virginia Film Office, partnership marketing, and minimal administrative support functions. The Authority aggressively leverages funding and forms partnerships with industry and government entities to extend the reach of its limited budget.

The Virginia Tourism Authority is not on the books of the State Comptroller, so the only funds reflected are general fund appropriations. However, the Authority does receive about $1.3 million annually from the Virginia Department of Transportation (about $1.2 million for the operation of the state's 12 Welcome Centers and $125,000 as a pass-through for the Danville Welcome Center, which is locally operated). These funds, however, are not sufficient to fully fund the Welcome Centers' operations, which total over $2.6 million annually.