DRIVE旅游+ grant program builds on the latest 研究 and strategies from 维吉尼亚州 Tourism and what we have learned from travel trends over the last few years. VTC has identified an industry-wide target level of visitor spending – $103 Million per day spent by visitors to 维吉尼亚州 by the end of calendar year 2026. This target level represents an acceleration of annual visitor spending growth in 维吉尼亚州 over the next few years. If visitor spending reverts to its average annual growth rate pre-Pandemic, visitor spending in 维吉尼亚州 will not grow fast enough relative to our competitive neighboring states.
VTC Analysis has shown that states leading in visitor spending growth lead in broader economic growth metrics. 自大流行以来, 维吉尼亚州’s competitors that have grown visitor spending the fastest have also grown employment and population at a leading pace. If 维吉尼亚州 grows at a more moderate pace relative to our competitors, we will miss opportunities to build market share among travelers, potentially missing out on the further downstream benefits of economic growth. Visitor spending growth is powered by incremental visitor demand, a higher yield per visitor or a longer length of stay, in other words more visitors spending more and staying longer.
The DRIVE旅游+ workshop grant program, available to 维吉尼亚州 DMOs only, aims to help 维吉尼亚州 communities remain competitive as tourism destinations by putting as much emphasis on tourism promotion and product development. The program will help communities showcase their tourism assets and target the best audiences by supporting efforts that drive immediate visitation and extending length of stay.