Convention & Visitors Bureau: October 2004 Tourism Report

October 2004 Tourism Report

October 2004 Tourism Report

Projects
Working with Virginia Logo company on the Tourist Oriented Directional Signage program
On September 30th, with the opening of the Piedmont phase of the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail, Virginia becomes the only US state to have a statewide system. Outdoor travel writers attended the opening ceremony at Monticello and then traveled to Schuyler to tour the Waltonâs Mountain Museum and the Alberene Soapstone Company with Allen Hale as our watchable wildlife tour guide
Planning a Virginia Tourism Corporation customer service training seminar with Amherst October 15
Submitted information for the The Virginia Handbook for Hunter Publishing - third edition.
Taste of Nelson Updateö more than 500 visitors toured Swannanoa Palace; Oak Ridge Estate hosted 23 tours (2 of which were Taste of Nelson); the Farmerâs Market afternoon event was successful; Alberene Soapstone Company hosted 5 tours; several B & B owners mentioned that their guests had a great time.

Marketing and Promotion
Tourism staff man the Rockfish Gap Tourist Information Center (Afton-Route 250-Interstate 64-Blue Ridge Parkway-Skyline Drive) on Fridays and Saturdays in September and October. Thanks to the Nelson County orchards who provided apples and peaches: Dickie Brothers, Drumhellerâs Orchard, Mountain Cove Orchards and Saunders Brothers
10 media leads distributed to Nelson County tourism businesses
Worked with the wineries on a cooperative ad in the new wine section in the Virginia Travel Guide
Placed ad in December 2004 Gourmet magazine with Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau
Submitted Crabtree Falls to See Americaâs Treasure Hunt Game
Wintergreen Resort cited in Virginia Business Meeting and Conference Planner section

Meetings
September 1 ö Virginia Tourism Corporation commercial filmed at Veritas Winery
September 10 ö WLNI radio interview about Taste of Nelson
September 11-19 ö Taste of Nelson
September 22 ö Jamestown 2007
September 23 ö Slow Food USA
September 27 ö Wintergreen Resort golf and ski group sales
September 30 ö Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries Piedmont Region Birding Trail kick off celebration and travel writer tour

Tourism Statistics
               September 2004    YTD 2004    September 2003    YTD 2003
Phone        161                     1,531               135                      1,599
Labels        403                     7,583               3,578                   8,777
Internet      43,865                131,200           7,600                   58,430
Walk In     818                      9,082               669                     7,109

Taxes        August 2004        YTD 2004    August 2003        YTD 2003
Lodging    $16,127                131,794        18,450                  127,788
Meals        $38,502                327,675        38,243                  295,938

Media Coverage
Nelson County Times, News Advance, Daily Progress, News Virginian, magazines    Column Inches ö 1102 Number of articles - 50
Average open rate is $23.67 per column inch for regional papers ö
Nelson County received $26,084 in advertising through print media sources