Fluvanna tourism office outlines marketing gains, grants and next steps; transient occupancy tax generating modest revenue

County tourism staff presented an update on Fluvanna’s tourism strategic plan on April 2, detailing recent marketing work, grant awards and next steps to grow visits and visitor spending.

Staff described a four-part strategy centered on branding and marketing, infrastructure, business capacity building and communication. County materials developed under the Find Fluvanna brand include visitor guides, rack cards and a tourism video; staff said they have expanded social media and launched the county tourism website. Staff reported $18,000 in Virginia Tourism Corporation marketing leverage grants and additional grant awards of roughly $79,000 to support promotion and programming.

The county also reported that transient occupancy tax collections, implemented in January 2024, have generated $35,729 in revenue so far; staff said those funds are being reinvested in tourism initiatives. Tourism metrics cited from the Virginia Tourism Corporation included $10.5 million in direct visitor spending, about 77 local jobs attributed to tourism and roughly $500,000 in local tax revenue for 2023.

Infrastructure priorities include pursuing a VDOT master plan for a proposed gateway sign program and supporting short‑term rental regulation adopted in 2024. The office described ongoing partnerships with the Fluvanna Historical Society, arts groups and local event promoters; upcoming priorities include workshops for business owners (including digital marketing and AI tools), mountain‑bike promotion at Pleasant Grove Park and continued regional collaboration.

Ending: County staff said they will seek funding for the VDOT gateway master plan and continue marketing and business assistance activities; supervisors praised progress and asked staff to continue tracking outcomes.