Convention & Visitors Bureau: October 2005 Tourism Report

October 2005 Tourism Report

Nelson County Department of Economic Development and Tourism

October 2005 Report

Tourism Update

Projects

Staff is assisting at the Rockfish Gap (Afton) Visitor Center on Fridays and Saturdays – Saunders Brother Orchard is supplying peaches and apples

Working with Amherst County and Lynchburg on the August 2007 Dixie Youth Sports event

Working with Virginia Tourism Corporation on Travel South February 2006 Showcase (Richmond)

Developing a framework for the 2007 Nelson County Bicentennial

Working with Explore Nelson Wine on marketing to Wintergreen Resort

Planning Jamestown 2007 events

Working with Lynchburg CVB and 7 other localities on a tourism attraction passport program

Marketing and Promotion

16 media leads distributed to Nelson County tourism businesses

Web site and brochure nominated for National Association of Public Relations A web site and brochure

September Virginia Living magazine features Drumhellers Orchard, Blue Ridge Tunnel and Piney River Rail Trail

Updated Fun with the Family publication

Updated Lynchburg Life information about Nelson County

Distributed information about listing in the Virginia Travel Guide for Persons with Disabilities

Submitted information to Google.com/local

Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission’s Heritage Tourism Toolbox has been nominated for a best practices award

Submitted community information to Yellow Book USA

The next version of the Virginia state map (spring 2006) will feature the commemoration of America's 400th Anniversary as a theme. The map will highlight the 124+ official Virginia 2007 Communities located across the

Commonwealth – including Nelson County

Montebello Fish Hatchery

505 paid visitors in September 2005

Meetings

September 12 – Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce – Virginia Society of Association Executives fall marketplace

September 15 – Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce – Dixie Youth Baseball

September 16 – Friends of the Rockfish event at Elk Hill

September 19 – Virginia Tourism Corporation – cooperative marketing program

September 21 – Bedford Convention and Visitors Center

September 21 – Schuyler Historic District public meeting

September 28 - Virginia Tourism Corporation – Jamestown 2007 Godspeed Sail

Tourism Statistics
            September 2005   YTD 2005   September 2004       YTD 2004
Phone   307                        2,722            161                            1,531
Labels   419                        5,392            403                            7,583
Internet 58,84                    481,413       43,865                       131,200
Walk In 947                      9,655            818                            9,082

Taxes   August 2005   YTD 2005   August 2004       YTD 2004
Lodging   $17,415       119,258       16,357                    130,685
Meals        $38,504       318,412       39,319                    332,122

Media Coverage
Nelson County Times, News Advance, Daily Progress, News Virginian, magazines Column Inches – 719 Number of articles - 44

Average open rate is $23.67 per column inch for regional papers –

Nelson County received $17,019 in advertising through print media sources

Economic Development Update

Projects

Facilitating the Nellysford Planning process – 175 people attended the 9/26 community meeting; the second community meeting is planned for November 2005

Facilitating Schuyler historic district project – first community meeting was held 9/21; survey work is complete

Managing Lovingston Revitalization planning grant project – final public meeting is set for 10/27

Marketing Small Business Development Center seminars and coordinating monthly onsite sessions (10/11 is the second seminar)

Working on the online business directory (600 of the 1100 business license holders now in the system)

Working with the Economic Development Authority on broadband initiatives and business retention visits

Working with Wintergreen Resort to change the GSA per diem

Meetings

September 1 – Economic Development Authority

September 9 – Nellysford Community Planning Meeting – facilitator’s training

September 13 – Small Business Development Center seminar – How to Start a Business

September 13 – Wintergreen Resort report to Board of Supervisors

September 14 – State Review Board Department of Historic Resources –Lovingston Historic District

September 19 – Virginia Economic Development Partnership

September 19- business retention visit

September 20 – Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Economic Development Annual Symposium – Why Economic Development ?

September 20 – Nelson County Chamber of Commerce membership meeting – update on Lovingston, Schuyler and Nellysford projects

September 21 – Schuyler Historic District public meeting

September 22 – Blue Ridge Tunnel

September 26 – Nellysford Planning Project – first community meeting

September 27 – Board of Supervisors-Economic Development Authority- Wintergreen Resort

September 30 – Community Development Foundation – Lovingston housing survey

Recruitment and Retention

Working with no new prospects and 4 ongoing relationships