WILLIAMSBURG — Visit Williamsburg was announced as a winner of the 2024 VIRGO Award by The Virginia Association of Destination Marketing Organizations at its Annual Meeting and Spring Symposium last week in Richmond.
The Virginia Association of Destination Marketing Organizations (VADMO) is an association that supports destination marketing organizations and the development of tourism and travel professionals in Virginia, according to the organization.
Visit Williamsburg was announced as a winner this year for its entry, “Life At Your Pace,” in the Advertising & Promotion with Budget of More Than $1 million award category. The awards were for projects, campaigns, and efforts completed between January and December 2023.
“Each year, VADMO honors the best and brightest in Virginia’s tourism industry. Whether it is an innovative marketing campaign, a wildly successful destination event, or a top-notch tourism professional; the VIRGO Awards showcase the immense talent and dedication of VADMO’s members,” said Theresa Earles, Tourism Development Manager with Suffolk Tourism, who manages the VIRGO Awards on behalf of VADMO.
Visit Williamsburg is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Jamestown. In 2018, Virginia’s General Assembly established the DMO, primarily funded through a special retail sales and use tax. The organization is a public body and an advisory board to the legislative branch of state government.
Visit Williamsburg’s board of directors is dictated by statute and includes leadership from Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown Yorktown Foundation, Busch Gardens, Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation, Williamsburg Hotel and Motel Association, Williamsburg Area Restaurant Association, Virginia Tourism Corporation, Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce, and one elected official from the City of Williamsburg, James City County, and York County.
In 2022, two million visitors spent $941.4 million throughout the region, driving $48.5 million in travel-related tax revenue, VADMO noted in its press release.
The VIRGO Awards, now in their fourteenth year, celebrate the success of destination marketing organizations along with their respective staff members and volunteers, the association said. Judges for the awards are industry peers, and submissions are evaluated on the quality of the submission, economic efficiency, and economic or community impact.
For more information about VADMO visit vadmo.org or contact the organization at vadmo@associationbuilders.com.
