In 2019, Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) completed a long-term strategic plan to help increase tourism visitation and spending across the Commonwealth. This plan is titled “Drive 2.0,” and will build on the existing findings and conclusions from the 2013 Statewide Tourism Plan.
This strategic plan is a result of conversations with Virginia’s tourism industry and tourism partners as we look to the future and plan for success. It focuses on answering two key questions:
- What should we be promoting?
- What should we be building?
The tourism industry is an overly saturated and extremely competitive market. In order to succeed and thrive, Virginia communities must continue to develop new tourism product and focus on winning strategies to evolve and grow. When we increase tourism development, we increase the visitor experience, economic impact to communities and our marketing competitiveness. Drive 2.0 will help us do just that.
After a competitive review process, VTC selected Southeastern Institute of Research, Inc. (SIR) to conduct the research and develop the strategic plan. In 2019, SIR surveyed more than 750 industry partners, and conducted interviews with stakeholders in every region throughout the state. SIR has delivered a comprehensive strategy that is tailored to the individual needs of communities across the Commonwealth, with the goal of increasing visitation and revenue. SIR will also work with VTC during the implementation process of DRIVE 2.0.
