TDA reports rising occupancy, new grant support and plans for wayfinding signs

The Alleghany County Tourism Development Authority (TDA) told commissioners Aug. 18 that occupancy-tax revenue and visitor metrics have increased and that the office used grant funding and new marketing tools to support events and projects.

TDA director Steve Mason presented the annual report and highlighted a rise in occupancy taxes and a suite of grants and local promotions. "We can identify where people are from," Mason said when describing the authority’s new geo-fencing technology, which he said can track event attendance and origin data for comparisons as far back as 2016.

Why it matters: Higher occupancy-tax revenue can fund local tourism projects and grants to nonprofits. Mason reported the TDA invested roughly $257,000 in the community during the past year in grants, capital and event funding while reporting revenues of about $252,817 for the fiscal period cited.

Key points from the TDA report - Occupancy-tax revenue: Mason noted about $252,817 in revenue for the period covered and said that overnight stays and tourism activity have trended up. - Fund balance and grants: The TDA’s reported fund balance stood near $199,000 with a long-range plan fund of about $163,000. Mason said the TDA had invested roughly $257,000 in community grants and expenditures during the year. - Grants and awards: The TDA supported multiple local projects with grants (examples cited by Mason included a $10,000 award to the Sam Brown Trail Association, $25,000 from a community foundation for related work, and smaller awards to local festivals and groups). A list Mason read aloud included grants to litter pickup programs, Apple Pie Festival, a fiddlers convention and other events. - Wayfinding signs and marketing: Mason said a wayfinding-signs project was out for bid and staff expect to start an initial installation in the fall as part of a Destination by Design effort. He also said marketing coordination with the Chamber of Commerce had improved reach and results. - Data and evaluation: Mason described new geo-fencing analytics that use cellphone data to estimate event attendance and visitor origin; he said the tool helps reduce guesswork when evaluating grant requests and events.

Chamber letter Larry Benjamin, executive director of the Alleghany Chamber of Commerce, read a formal letter of appreciation to county leaders for funding support for the 2025–26 fiscal year. The Chamber said county appropriations fund the Alleghany County Visitor Center and other promotion work that supports local merchants.

What’s next Mason said staff will return with final sign designs after bids are evaluated and will present additional data from the geo-fencing tool to inform grant and marketing decisions.