VIRGINIA’S TOURISM INDUSTRY
Virginia’s Tourism Industry is a network of statewide businesses and tourism offices located in all urban and rural areas, including state and federal parks, private property and public areas⎯ from coastal bays and beaches to main street communities, farm country, mountains, rivers, lakes and beaches ⎯ each a KEY partner creating visitor tourism experiences.
Virginia travelers are ⎯ multi-generational families, couples, friends, groups including businesses, corporations, associations and sporting events ⎯ Domestic and International.
This includes all levels of lodging, dining, retail, attractions, parks, arenas and outdoor areas.
DMO ⏐ Destination Marketing / Management Organization
⦾ Local Tourism Offices are called Destination Marketing /or/ Management Organizations or DMOs
⦾ Local governments fund and staff Economic Development & Tourism offices to create strategic plans, marketing plans, events and offer business resources to support the local economy and businesses by welcoming visitors of all types to stay, enjoy, return and tell others to visit
⦾ Some localities form a Chamber of Commerce, who directs tourism for the locality
⦾ Others form regional Tourism Associations to leverage their marketing and spending power
⦿ Find Virginia’s statewide tourism DMOs visit > VA Tourism Industry Contacts
⦿ Visit this link to reach VADMO (statewide DMO association)
⦿ Visit this link to reach the Virginia Main Street program
* statewide mainstreet tourism development & marketing
TOURISM CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
⦾ Many DMOs hire marketing and advertising firms to use state-of-the art research to create their brand, create marketing campaigns and review the results, answering questions such as:
⎯ How much marketing budget do we spend to reach our goal?
⎯ To attract repeat or new visitors from different areas, with different interests and travel budgets?
⎯ Have we researched our out-of-state competition similar to us, to gain insight and perspective
⎯ Did more visitors come because of our ads and social media campaign?
⎯ Are more people aware of our local destination’s brand?
⎯ Where and how should we spend are budget, targeting which visitors?
⎯ What research do we use to find the answers to ALL our questions?
⦾ Careers in tourism individual businesses, local governments, DMOs and creative agencies
⦾ Partnerships are crucial in tourism, and many DMOs, form strong relationships with local leaders, Chambers of Commerce (VACCE), Planning District Commissions (VAPDC), and local banks, city councils and county boards
⦿ Find job opportunities with Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) visit > VTC Employment Page
⦿ Check Virginia Workforce Connection, Virginia’s one-stop electronic workforce system
⦿ HCareers is for tourism industry & hospitality job and career seekers
⦿ Virginia Restaurant Lodging Travel Association (VRLTA) Job Board for hospitality jobs
VIEW OTHER CAREER OPPORTUNITIES BELOW
Tourism Coordinator – City of Newport News
The City of Newport News is seeking an energetic and experienced professional to join a dynamic team of tourism professionals. You’ll be on a team committed to delivering the best experience for those choosing Newport News for their leisure travel or meeting destination. As the Tourism Coordinator, in the Communications Department, you would be responsible for creating and executing a variety of programs and special projects to generate and increase tourism metrics and revenue for the City. You will be working with stakeholders from various Newport News attractions, hotels, travel planners, and City and Regional departments to develop strategic initiatives and partnerships to increase group sales efforts.
Group Sales Manager – Busch Gardens Williamsburg
The Group Sales Manager at Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA will be a part of the group sales and marketing team. Concentrating on various markets with accounts that bring groups to the park, this position is responsible for generating and growing group admission ticket revenue to the parks, and additional food and ancillary sales through group events. In this position you will be responsible for developing marketing opportunities to help generate sales in your market; cultivate relationships with your clients; conduct outside sales calls, training presentations and participate in trade shows.
Office Manager – The Menokin Foundation
The Menokin Foundation, a 500-acre historic site in Warsaw, VA, seeks an organized, logistics-oriented person, comfortable with databases and cloud-based programs, knowledgeable about office work-flow systems and flexible in a busy office situation to serve as their office manager. This person will oversee daily office operations and provide administrative support, including answering phones, processing mail, responding to general email inquiries, processing donor gifts, coordinating office calendars, tracking and ordering supplies, and supporting the interlocking needs of senior staff to keep operations well-coordinated. This position reports to the Executive Director.
Department of Conservation & Recreation and State Parks
Find open jobs on the DCR jobs page http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/jobs