SUCCESS
Tourism Boosts Local Economy & Tax Savings
Marketing, PR & Sales efforts by Visit VBR inspire visitors to come to our region. Visit VBR is funded by out-of-town visitors through a portion of the hotel occupancy tax.
Visitors patronize small businesses like restaurants, breweries, shops, outfitters & more.
Visitor spending enhances our quality of life by supporting events, businesses, arts venues & more that might not otherwise thrive.
$923.1 MILLION GENERATED IN LOCAL DIRECT VISITOR SPENDING A NEW RECORD AND 4.6% INCREASE OVER 2023
Spending by Category:
OVER $10.5 MILLION GENERATED THROUGH HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX
Visit VBR is funded through a portion of this tax.
IT ALL ADDS UP TO RECORD SPENDING
TRAVEL
EXPENDITURES
Direct Impact + Indirect & Induced Impact = Total Impact Visitor spending supports
IMPACT LOCAL ECONOMY:
Definitions:
Direct Impacts: economic value created by visitors at the point of transaction in key travel sectors
Indirect Impacts: additional economic value created as goods and services are purchased as inputs in key travel sectors
Induced Impacts: additional value created from wage income (direct or indirect) from spending in key travel sectors
2,026,355
UNIQUE VISITORS (USERS) TO VISITVBR.COM
6,318,044 SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENTS
VACATION STARTS WITH VA’S BLUE RIDGE
2025 SPRING MARKETING CAMPAIGN RECAP: APRIL – JULY 2025
• Campaign programs included targeted digital advertising (Google, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Amazon, and Connected TV services), as well as out-of-home displays on the Amtrak NE Regional train and the DC Metro network of rail cars and buses.
• The campaign received over 52.9 MILLION IMPRESSIONS
• During the time the campaign was running, Visit VBR saw a 32% INCREASE in traffic to its website, which included 620,000 PAGEVIEWS to the Vacation Starts with VA’s Blue Ridge landing page.
VIRGINIA’S BLUE RIDGE RESTAURANT WEEK SUCCESS
MAY 31 - JUNE 8, 2025 (9 days)
• Strong participation with 77 RESTAURANTS across 6 LOCALITIES (City of Roanoke · City of Salem · Botetourt County · Franklin County Roanoke County · Town of Vinton)
368 ARTICLES PRODUCED
NOT INCLUDING LOCAL MEDIA
50+ MEDIA ATTENDEES
191
NUMBER OF MEDIA HOSTED/VISITED
NOTABLE EVENTS:
190 MEDIA OUTREACH PITCHES
MID-ATLANTIC TOURISM PUBLIC RELATIONS ALLIANCE (MATPRA) MARKETPLACE 2024
Media spent 3 days experiencing flavors, culture, and outdoor adventure in Virginia’s Blue Ridge. Over a year later, media attendees continue to publish articles and social content as a result of this event.
Best Places to Visit in Virginia ARTICLES FROM:
BROADCAST APPEARANCES TO COMPLEMENT TARGETED SPRING MARKETING CAMPAIGN
Virginia’s Blue Ridge was featured on Good Morning Washington (ABC), Good Day DC (FOX), Great Day Washington (CBS), RVA Today (NBC, CW), and Hampton Roads Show (CW, FOX, NBC). Good Morning Washington featured each jurisdiction in Virginia’s Blue Ridge over 5 episodes.
COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS:
1,673 PARTNERS
12,561 VISITORS TO VISITOR CENTER
12,972 TOTAL BOOKED ROOM NIGHTS
$12,271,392 DIRECT VISITOR SPENDING
53 MEETINGS BOOKED
84,249 HOSTED PARTICIPANTS $19,926,508 DIRECT VISITOR SPENDING
77 EVENTS BOOKED
42,000+ TOTAL ROOM NIGHTS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS · VISIT VBR STAFF · VBR FOUNDATION
Mark S. Lucas
Mill Mountain Technologies Chair
Richard L. Caywood, P.E. County of Roanoke Vice Chair
Ryan Bell
Roanoke Higher Education Center
Alexander Boone
ABoone Homes, LLC
John Carlin
WSLS-TV 10 (NBC)
Dr. John Randolph Clements
Appointed by the City of Roanoke
Christopher Dorsey City of Salem
Jennifer Eddy
Appointed by the City of Roanoke
Whit Ellerman
Cardinal Bicycle
William Farrell Berglund Automotive Group
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Sunny Shah
Baymont Inn & Suites Salem Vice Chair
Douglas Blount County of Roanoke Treasurer
Kenneth Lanford
Lanford Brothers Company, Inc.
Gary Larrowe County of Botetourt
Sherman Lea
Former Mayor of the City of Roanoke
Stephen Lemon Martin, Hopkins & Lemon, P.C.
Annette Lewis
Total Action for Progress (TAP) Retired
Peter Lewis Apple Ridge Farm
Sam Lionberger Lionberger Construction Company
VISIT VIRGINIA'S BLUE RIDGE STAFF:
ADMINISTRATION
Landon Howard President
Danielle Hart
Office Manager/Assistant to the President
SALES & MARKETING
Debora Wright
Chief Strategist, Vice President
David Aldridge
Vice President of Marketing
John Oney
Vice President of Sports & Sales
Kathryn Lucas
Director of Public Relations
Shannon Keener
Creative Design Senior Manager
Jennifer Hayward
Social Media & Content Manager
Paige Thompson
Meeting Sales & Services Manager
Grace Needham
Public Relations Manager
Chris Stanger
Sports Sales & Services Manager
Amanda Koury
Sports Sales &
Services Coordinator
Raina Peterson
Marketing Coordinator
Holly Marden
Events Coordinator [part-time]
COMMUNITY
RELATIONS/ VISITOR SERVICES
Cheryl Morales Director of Community Relations
Kristen Flack
Community Relations & Events Manager
Jeanné Lewis
Visitor Services
Community Specialist
Lisa Wagner
Visitor Center Specialist Lead
VISITOR SERVICES SPECIALISTS
Marlene Efkeman
Debra Finney
Linda Franklin
Ray Keys
Jon Osborn (Volunteer)
Wayne Sanburn
Kimberly Blair Carilion Clinic Foundation
Secretary
W. Lee Wilhelm, III
McNeil Roofing, Inc. Past Chair
Michael Maxey
Former President of Roanoke College
Jim McAden
Former President of Balzer and Associates, Inc.
Allison Oakey Appointed by the City of Roanoke
David Robertson
Robertson Marketing, Inc.
John Shaner
City of Salem Parks & Recreation
Susan E. Short, Ph.D. Virginia Tech
Eric Sichau
Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce
James E. Smith, Sr.
Appointed by the City of Roanoke
Mike Stewart
Roanoke Blacksburg Airport Commission
Lucas Thornton
Hist:Re Partners, LLC
Valmarie H. Turner City of Roanoke
Christopher L. Whitlow County of Franklin
Barton J. Wilner Entre Computer Center
VISIT VIRGINIA'S BLUE RIDGE FOUNDATION TRUSTEES:
Established November 15, 2016
W. Lee Wilhelm, III
McNeil Roofing, Inc.
President
Kimberly Blair
Carilion Clinic Foundation Secretary
Douglas Blount County of Roanoke Treasurer
Richard L. Caywood, P.E. County of Roanoke
Mark S. Lucas
Mill Mountain Technologies
Barton J. Wilner Entre Computer Center
Valmarie H. Turner City of Roanoke
Christopher Dorsey City of Salem
Gary Larrowe County of Botetourt
Christopher L. Whitlow County of Franklin
Sunny Shah
Baymont Inn & Suites Salem
Susan E. Short, Ph.D. Virginia Tech
ADMINISTRATION
Landon C. Howard
Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge
