Convention & Visitors Bureau: December 2005 Tourism Report

December 2005 Tourism Report

Nelson County Department of Economic Development and Tourism
December 2005 Report

Tourism Update

Projects

• Updated Nelson County 2006 events on the state of Virginia, Charlottesville Albemarle and Lynchburg tourism calendars/websites
• Submitted Nelson County as a motorcycle friendly place on the website Motorcycle Virginia - www.motorcycleva.com

• Submitted a proposal to host the 2006 US Challenge event –with Wintergreen Resort and the Charlottesville/Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau

• Submitted attraction information for the 2007 AAA TourBook

• The newest collectible miniature, the Oak Ridge Railroad Station is now for sale

• Submitted Crabtree Falls as a unique kid oriented attraction to the Family Road Atlas being published by the mapping company Rand McNally

• 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

• 10 media leads distributed to Nelson County tourism businesses

Montebello Fish Hatchery

390 paid visitors in November 2005

Meetings

November 2 – Explore Nelson Wine

November 7– Nelson County Summer Festival

November 8 – Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau (CACVB) research and branding project

November 18 – Virginia Wine Tours

November 22 – US Challenge event proposal

November 28 – Keep Nelson Beautiful

November 29 – bicentennial

Tourism Statistics
                November 2005   YTD 2005   November 2004       YTD 2004
Phone        126                        3,182           73                                1,753
Internet     44,414                    598,384       34,619                         212,594
Walk In   765                         11,989       846                              11,537

Taxes
                October 2005        YTD 2005   October 2004   YTD 2004
Lodging   $16,922                151,455       14,176                159,280
Meals        $38,151                397,593       37,576                409,779

Media Coverage
Nelson County Times, News Advance, Daily Progress, News Virginian, magazines Column Inches – 519 Number of articles - 16

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

Nelson County received $12,285 in advertising through print media sources

Economic Development Update
Projects
•   Producing economic development profile of Nelson County with Dominion Virginia Power
•   Charlottesville Chapter of the Service Corps of Retired Executive now serves Nelson County businesses
•   now has a geographic cluster map counter on the home page – now analyzing web site using google analytics
•   Facilitating the Nellysford Planning process –the second community meeting held November 22, 2005 – 60 participants attended
•   Facilitating Schuyler historic district project – Board update set for December 13
•   Managing Lovingston Revitalization planning grant – beginning work on DHCD construction grant application
•   Marketing Central Virginia Small Business Development Center seminars and coordinating monthly onsite sessions
•   Working on the online business directory
•   Working with the Economic Development Authority on broadband initiatives and business retention visits - EDA will fund broadband survey of the county
•   Working with Wintergreen Resort to change the GSA per diem and hotel project

Meetings
November 1 – Wintergreen Resort hotel project
November 1 – business consultant
November 1 – prospective business
November 2 – Explore Nelson Wine
November 3 – Economic Development Authority
November 4 – business retention
November 10 – Service Corps of Retired Executives
November 15 – Dept. of Historic Resources cost share grant application workshop
November 16 – prospective business
November 18 – Virginia Wine Tours
November 30 – Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Economic Development
November 30 – business retention

Recruitment and Retention
Working with 3 new prospects and 2 ongoing relationships