This tourism and travel slogan may be one of the most recognized and successful advertising slogans ever. I didn’t realize that it has been around since 1969. Back then, the firm of Martin and Woltz Inc. proposed slogans like, “Virginia is for History Lovers.” Also beach lovers and mountain lovers. The thought was these slogans were too limiting and came up with the all-inclusive lovers of all things Virginia.
Fast forward to 2017… all-inclusive means so much more today.
“Our LOVE story is bigger, better, and more inclusive than ever before.”
The official tourism website of the Commonwealth of Virginia started a new marketing program… “specifically aimed at drawing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender — aka LGBT — tourists to visit the state.”
Caroline Logan, Director of Communications for Virginia Tourism Corp., stated “The goal is to present Virginia as a safe and inclusive place for LGBT travelers and their families.”
Is this an advertising promotion to bring more business to the state? Of course.
“There are millions of dollars spent each year by LGBT travelers, which is a very specific segment of the tourism market, so being able to benefit from that segment is important,” said Kevin Clay, who served on the advisory commission and is a principal with Big Spoon Agency, a hospitality consulting firm in Richmond.
Is this also a strong welcoming message to the LGBT community of travelers? You bet.
Hospitality has many acronyms. One of them is openness, another kindness, another generosity. I was pleased to see many bed and breakfasts on the self-designated listings of Virginia business owners and hosts as LGBT-friendly.
The B&B Team loves Virginia. In fact the company was founded by Peter Scherman in Virginia in 1993. He and his wife Peggy love living in historic Scottsville, Virginia.
Just like the LOVE story of Virginia, The B&B Team is now bigger and better. There are now 10 of us on the team. I can speak for all of us in that we believe wholeheartedly in the all-inclusive marketing message Virginia Tourism Corp. is promoting. Kudos to Virginia Tourism Corp. for their openness and all inclusive campaign. Lovers come in all shapes and forms and varieties of humankind…………..and to quote one of my favorite passages from Harper Lee’s book, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Atticus Finch’s daughter Scout observed that “I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks.”
If becoming an innkeeper is a dream and hospitality is in your DNA, we can help. As we state on our Seminars page, “We don’t sell the dream, we help you live it.” We invite you to start your search for bed and breakfasts for sale in Virginia right here.
The B&B Team also loves the other 49 states and would love to help your search….wherever.
Thanks for Listening,
Janet Wolf
