~ Nationally recognized firm Hunden Partners selected to lead planning efforts ~
RICHMOND – Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) announced today that it will develop a new Statewide Strategic Tourism Plan designed to guide Virginia’s tourism growth, sharpen the Commonwealth’s competitive edge, and increase both visitation and traveler spending over the next three years.
The Statewide Strategic Tourism Plan will serve as a roadmap for Virginia’s tourism industry, with a specific focus on enhancing the visitor experience, extending the length of stay, and unlocking new opportunities for destination development across all regions of the Commonwealth.
Following a highly competitive selection process, VTC has engaged Hunden Partners, a nationally recognized leader in tourism planning, to lead the project. Hunden will create a comprehensive three-year Tourism Development Plan for each of Virginia’s ten tourism regions. The process will include deep stakeholder engagement, a detailed peer analysis, and Hunden’s proprietary Pillars of Place framework — a data-driven approach designed to assess tourism assets, uncover growth opportunities, and strengthen Virginia’s hub-and-spoke strategy for destination marketing.
The new plan will build upon the success of VTC’s prior Statewide Strategic Tourism Plan and DRIVE Tourism initiatives and will deliver targeted regional recommendations to help local communities leverage their unique assets, sharpen their tourism strategies, and build strong foundations for long-term growth.
“Tourism is a powerful economic engine for Virginia, and this strategic plan is a critical step in ensuring our continued success in an increasingly competitive marketplace,” said Rita McClenny, President and CEO of Virginia Tourism Corporation. “The Statewide Strategic Tourism Plan will allow us to better understand the evolving needs of today’s travelers while providing Virginia’s communities with actionable insights to attract visitors, encourage longer stays, and inspire future investment in tourism development.”
“Virginia’s rich history, culture, and regional and national assets make it a top-tier destination,” said Rob Hunden, Founder and CEO of Hunden Partners. “Our team is excited to partner with the forward-thinking leadership at VTC to help grow the Commonwealth’s tourism ecosystem and valuable impacts.”
Throughout the development process, Hunden Partners will work closely with local tourism leaders, businesses, and community stakeholders to ensure the plan reflects the voices and visions of those who know their destinations best. The resulting statewide and regional recommendations will serve as a flexible framework for both public and private partners as they seek to enhance their tourism offerings, strengthen community assets, and create memorable visitor experiences.
For more information about VTC’s Statewide Strategic Tourism Plan and future opportunities for engagement, please visit vatc.org/strategictourismplan2025-2028.
About Virginia Tourism Corporation
Virginia is for Lovers is one of the most iconic and recognizable travel brands in the world. Using that powerful brand equity, Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) is charged with promoting the Commonwealth as a premier travel destination by showcasing all there is to love in a Virginia vacation. The dollars spent by travelers fuel the economy, provide jobs for Virginians, and improve communities across the state. Simply put, tourism helps make Virginia a great place to live, work, and visit. Learn more at virginia.org.
About Hunden Partners
Hunden Partners is the leading global advisor in destination real estate development. The firm offers a full range of project advisory and execution services including market, financial feasibility, and economic impact analyses, tourism planning and strategy, and development implementation services for specialty destination assets such as sports facilities, mixed-use and entertainment districts, convention and expo centers, hotels, entertainment venues, recreation facilities and other catalytic development projects. Hunden assists clients in moving projects from concept to funding to execution. The company’s clients include cities, states, universities, DMOs, authorities and private developers. Hunden has conducted more than 1,000 studies and has had a hand in the development of over $20 billion in built or planned projects around the world. For more information, please visit hunden.com