Virginia’s Statewide Strategic Tourism Plan 2026-2029
In 2025, Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) partnered with Hunden Partners to update Virginia’s Statewide Strategic Tourism Plan. This comprehensive plan will guide our efforts in understanding how we can enhance Virginia’s offerings and encourage travelers to extend their length of stay.
Why It Matters
If Virginia continues to rely on past growth trends, we risk falling behind in an increasingly competitive tourism market, missing out on valuable market share and economic benefits. Neighboring states have seen significant growth by investing in tourism infrastructure such as hotels, downtown experiences, and outdoor recreation amenities. Research shows that destinations with strong visitor economies experience stronger overall economic growth, which highlights the need to boost tourism and increase visitor spending.
The Process
Throughout 2025, Hunden Partners conducted meetings, interviews, and data collection to gather feedback from tourism leaders across the state. Virginia’s tourism industry perspectives are vital to shaping the future of the tourism economy in Virginia.
The Plan
Findings from the Strategic Tourism Plan were shared with Virginia tourism industry partners at the 2025 VA-1 Tourism Summit. The Statewide Overview of the Plan is available below with the Regional Plans to follow on April 22, 2026. This staggered release will help to guide readers through the content and ensure the necessary groundwork for fully understanding the documents as they are presented.
What’s Next
Stay tuned for further updates as the plan progresses.
If you have any questions about the Statewide Strategic Tourism Plan process or updates, please reach out to Caitlin Johnson at ccjohnson@virginia.org.