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FIVE ouT oF 20 ISN’T bAD >>

Hot college towns in Virginia

Williamsburg ranked No. 4 on a list of the best college towns in the country.

on a list of the 20 best college towns in

America by Travel + Leisure, Virginia snagged five slots. Burlington, Vt., took the No. 1 spot, but these towns in the Commonwealth also earned accolades:

>> no. 2: Charlottesville — The University of Virginia’ s hometown was noted for its history and music scene.

>> no. 4: Williamsburg — The town’s history is great, but so are its art scene and romantic hotels. Williamsburg is home to The

College of William & Mary.

>> no. 5: Harrisonburg — Travel + Leisure calls the downtown of

James Madison University’s home revitalized, with bike paths and good beer pubs.

>> no. 9: Fredericksburg — Mary Washington University and history abound in Fredericksburg, as do new restaurants and breweries.

>> no. 14: lexington — Home to both Washington and Lee

University and Virginia Military Institute, Travel + Leisure calls

Lexington a “livable,” quaint town.

Just how cool a state is Virginia to attend college in? Only two other states had multiple towns on the list. North Carolina and New York each had two. n

Virginia is for (overseas) lovers

Foreign visitors spent a record amount in the Commonwealth in 2012, according to the governor’s office. That year, the most recent for which data is available, showed that tourism spending from overseas visitors climbed by 9 percent over 2011, to $425 million. Other tourism facts:

>> Domestic visitors spent $21.2 billion in Virginia in 2011.

>> Canadians are enjoying Virginia more, with overnight visitation by Canadians up 3 percent and spending increasing more than 4 percent. Canadians spent nearly $155 million.

>> During his term, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell made tourism marketing a priority. He promoted the Commonwealth during international marketing missions to the United Kingdom,

Italy, Germany, Sweden, Israel, India, China, South Korea and

Canada.

Scan the Qr code with your smartphone to access the easy-to-use mobile site from www.virginia.org. Links to dining options, events, deals and packages and more are at your fingertips. n

>> bY tHe nUMbeRS

6.1 million

The number of children living in poverty in the United States in 2012, according to the most recent U.S. Census data. This equals nearly 22 percent of Americans under the age of 18. n