1/14/2010

Heritage tourism takes a hit

The Virginia state tourism office has made decisions that may be trend-setting. The CEO of state-owned Virginia Tourism Corp., Alisa Bailey, says
"We have always focused on women baby boomers" ... because they primarily made vacation decisions. But Bailey is shifting Virginia Tourism's sights to a new target: Generation X families.

What Virginia Tourism found is that Gen Xers, people ages 25 to 45, spend 13 percent more on travel than the baby-boom generation, they want to do things with their family and their confidence in the economy is rising faster than the rest of the population's.

"We're changing strategy in 2010," Bailey said. "We want to give a new meaning to 'Virginia is for Lovers.'
This is a clear departure from the emphasis on heritage tourism - at best heritage (history) stays in the mix. At worst, it becomes associated with the failed boomer strategy.

And this on the approach of the Sesquicentennial...