Economic Development

Nelson County Department of Economic Development and Tourism

Board of Supervisors Report

May 2009

Projects

• Fish Virginia First Trail Unveiled
• Hosted April 20-22, 2009 Virginia Tourism Summit at Wintergreen Resort
• Passport site for Virginia is for Lovers Motorcycle Grand Tour
• Crabtree Falls listed as one of 40 Free Things to Do in Virginia
• Economic Development Authority Business Appreciation Event May 14, 2009
• Blue Ridge Parkway 75^th anniversary celebration coordinator
• Shenandoah National Park 75^th anniversary celebration coordinator
• Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail 5^th anniversary celebration coordinator
• Planning Amherst-Nelson Summer Solstice Wine and Farm Festival June 20-21, 2009

• Appointed to Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services local rural economic development directors committee
• Coordinating Afton Greenwood historic district
• Implementing regional brewery trail Brew Ridge Trail with Charlottesville Albemarle Tourism

• Coordination of the  Local Food Hub and Buy Local projects with EDA
• Virginia Sesquicentennial Commemoration of the Civil War Committee
• Working with Wintergreen Resort on marketing initiatives

April Meetings

April 1 – Virginia Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus

April 2 – Economic Development Authority

April 4 – Kick off of Virginia is for Lovers Motorcycle Grand Tour

April 3-5 – Hosted two (2) travel writers

April 9 – Virginia Sesquicentennial Commemoration of the Civil War

April 10 – Broadband planning

April 10 – Transportation planning

April 14 – Brew Ridge Trail

April 14 – Final broadband planning report to Board of Supervisors

April 15 – Monticello Visitors Center opening

April 16 – Small Business Administration Town Hall meeting

April 17 – Virginia Commonwealth University graduate student

April 20-22 – Virginia Tourism Summit at Wintergreen Resort

April 20 – Amherst-Nelson Summer Solstice Wine and Farm Festival

April 23 – Small Business Development Center advisory council

April 24 – VA ABC Tourism Council

Montebello Fish Hatchery

444 visitors in April 2009

Tourism Statistics                                Fiscal

                April 2009             YTD 2009             April 2008             YTD 2008

Phone       1,134                   6,689                      476                         5,072     

Internet     303,201              3,036,084              310,110                 2,720,750

Walk In     1,248                  8,713                      397                         10,345

Taxes        March 2009       YTD 2009             March 2008     YTD 2008   

Lodging    $ 13,938             334,612                 24,239                   361,667

Meals        $31,710              412,673                 41,933                   398,822