THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 29, 1996 TAG: 9609270008
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: J4 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: 36 lines
See what happens when we all work together?
The cities of Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Hampton, hoteliers and selected attractions in those cities and Williamsburg launched an innovative tourism campaign this year to sell visitors vacation packages combining beach time with museum and amusement time.
As a result, the region came up a winner.
By year's end, the $800,000 promotion will have generated an estimated $4.4 million in tourist dollars. That's good news for local innkeepers and museum and amusement ticket sales.
The best part is those dollars were shared by all the cities involved.
The package was funded by the cities, the participating amusements, museums and hotels and the Virginia Tourism Corp.
It might seem natural that in a tourism-conscious state such as Virginia regional attractions would be packaged together. Unfortunately, that is the exception rather than the rule.
Hampton Roads has been roundly criticized for its lack of regional cooperation on other matters such as water, roads and economic development.
How refreshing, then, to suddenly find Hampton Roads setting a national standard for regional cooperation.
Staff writer Debbie Messina reported earlier this week that the so-called ``Family Fun Package'' is believed to be the first cooperative vacation promotion in the United States to combine multiple city tourism departments, private hotels and regional attractions. In recognition of the program's trailblazing efforts, it received the 1996 ``Shining Example Award'' from the Southeast Tourism Society.
Proof that when a region works together, everyone wins. by CNB