At the Virginia-1 Tourism Summit in Reston Nov. 17, Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced the creation of the LGBT Tourism Task Force as part of an initiative to increase LGBTQ tourism in Virginia, by exhibiting the state as an LGBTQ-friendly destination.
This initiative follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s Oct. 6 rejection of petitions to review the overturning of the Virginia ban on same-sex marriage by the Fourth Circuit Court.
“We have an opportunity to build upon the progress Virginia made this year in achieving marriage equality and ensure that visitors across the globe know that the commonwealth is open and welcoming to all,” McAuliffe said in a Monday press release. “We’re unified by one common goal: to make Virginia a better place to live, work, play and raise a family.”
Virginia Tourism Corporation spokesperson Caroline Logan said this is no different than other tourism initiatives, but the task force will help the company communicate with and better understand the LGBTQ tourism sector.
“Virginia is a destination that is welcome to all travelers,” Logan said. “With the recent changes to the laws for marriage equality, the creation of the task force and LGBT marketing models like OutRVA in place now is the time that we can say, truly and emphatically, that Virginia is for Lovers and welcome to all.”
The task force will be led by Maurice Jones, secretary of commerce and trade, and will be comprised of LGBTQ community members, industry stakeholders and business leaders. The role of the task force is to make recommendations as to how Virginia can be more welcoming to the LGBTQ communities.
“We will plan to reach this particular community just as we do for any other marketing efforts — digital marketing, earned media, paid media and B2B industry relations,” Logan said.
Potential topics aimed at reaching out to LGBTQ tourists include “The Power of Creative Communities” and “Marketing Virginia Weddings,” which were both discussed at the tourism summit.
Logan said LGBTQ travelers have a very important economic impact in the United States and any presence Virginia can establish in the market would have positive impacts on the state economy.
Logan said Virginia’s largest tourism market is currently Virginians.
“‘Tourism’ is defined by traveling 50 or more miles from home,” Logan said. “We encourage all Virginians to explore the commonwealth instead of leaving its borders for a vacation. When you vacation in Virginia, you positively contribute to our economy, as tourism is an instant revenue generator for Virginia.”
Read More
Students and faculty plant forest patch outside Monroe Hall
By Lidia Zur Muhlen | 21 hours agoAlongside the new edible patch outside Monroe Hall, there are also patches at Scott Stadium, Carr’s Hill, Meadow Creek, Observatory Hill and Hereford Residential College.
From the archives: Nov. 25 – Dec. 1
By Emma Todd and Grace Franklin | 2 days agoThe day before Thanksgiving in 1981, the University was gifted with its first snow of the year!
Student Council hears from Director of Diversity Education, talks parking fines
By Vyshnavi Tatta | 3 days agoLaw Rep. Kasey Michaud introduced a bill encouraging students to donate food to local pantries by offering reductions in parking fees as an incentive.
