ACVA Holds Tourism Marketing Summit

Last week, the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association presented its second annual Tourism Marketing Summit at the George Washington Masonic Memorial. Through breakout sessions on marketing, news media and social networks, the summit aimed to teach business owners and other organizations how to tap into the money spent by visitors.

In her keynote address, ACVA CEO and President Stephanie Pace Brown said Alexandria’s visitors, which total 3.3 million each year, spend $616 million in the city. The City Council recently increased its investment in tourism sales by almost $400,000 in the 2012 budget it passed earlier this month.

“We make this investment because we know it indeed works,” Mayor Bill Euille said at the summit luncheon.

Brown discussed the efforts of Alexandria as well as the nation to come back from the “terrible travel year” of 2009. The downturn in the economy took a huge hit on the leisure and business travel industry that year, but recent trends show travel is on the upswing.

Brown spoke of a “new culture of impatience” among travelers, who are making more last-minute trips by car, are seeking faster food options and are relying more and more on mobile devices to find attractions in destinations.

“Mobile searches have increased more than 3,000 percent,” Brown said.

ACVA launched its mobile website in April 2010 and it has already recorded more than 50,000 visitors. The City recently unveiled its with “QR” codes linking to the ACVA website. By taking a smart phone photo of the meter’s QR code, visitors can find out what museums, shops and restaurants are nearby.

Brown said the ACVA is working toward launching a new general website soon. It is on track to reach more than 1 million visitors this year.

ACVA is also boosting its tourism marketing efforts. During his remarks, Euille said ACVA materials should reach more than 100 million households next year.

“If there’s anything we can do as a government to maximize tourism, all you need to do is pick up the phone and call [Councilman] Frank Fannon,” Euille joked.

Editor's note: Stephanie Pace Brown's name has been corrected in this story.