Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 16, 1990 TAG: 9005160699
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
They are looking to the General Assembly to help get that message out.
The Virginia Division of Tourism will ask the General Assembly to increase its budget from the current $10 million annually to $30 million by the end of the decade, Margaret Lesniak, the division's assistant director, said Tuesday during a news conference to kick off state tourism week.
Florida is Virginia's biggest competition for tourist dollars, said Frits Huntjens, past chairman of the Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association, the lobbying arm for the industry.
"They have mega, mega bucks," Huntjens said. "We're having some tough times in terms of competition."
State officials said a recent survey showed increased recognition of the state tourism slogan, "Virginia is for Lovers."
But unlike Florida's Disney World, Virginia has no major tourist attraction that brings in people, industry representatives said.
The state's smaller, history-oriented and often non-profit attractions do not have the money to spend on advertising that Disney World does, Lesniak said.
"In Virginia, there is a great lack in advertising budgets necessary to tap visitors," said Harry L. Frazier Jr., director of economic development for the Virginia Chamber of Commerce.
Last year, the division of tourism reached 52 percent of the U.S. population using television ads on the East Coast, Lesniak said. The division's media budget was up 44 percent, but the division saw an 84 percent increase in inquiries about the state, she said.
She said the division cannot afford such major advertising this year.
The state also is trying to convince local governments to spend more money to promote their attractions.
"Lots of counties are looking at bigs cuts in tourism" spending, said James Wordsworth, president of the Virginia Restaurant Association.
"We are the one breath of fresh air" that allows economic and social growth without residential development, Wordsworth said. "When a legislator takes a red pencil to a dollar designated for tourism, they must understand that they are making cuts in revenue."
Tourists spend more than $19 million a day in Virginia, Frazier said.
The state Department of Aviation said if current projections hold for the rest of the year, close to 33 million people will travel to and from Virginia's 11 major airports, setting a record.
by CNB