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Visit Loudoun previews 3‑year plan, urges midweek and equestrian marketing for Middleburg
Summary
Visit Loudoun presented a strategic plan to Middleburg council emphasizing equestrian assets, midweek visitation, branded itineraries and a visitor‑profile study; presenter said ~900 survey responses and highlighted media coverage and partnerships to boost off‑peak stays.
Beth, a representative of Visit Loudoun, briefed the Middleburg Town Council on Dec. 11 about Visit Loudoun’s three‑year strategic plan and its implications for Middleburg.
Beth said the organization conducted nearly 900 survey responses and stakeholder interviews and that the plan emphasizes Middleburg’s equestrian and culinary strengths under a broader "DC's Wine Country" brand. She described initiatives to increase mid‑week stays by working with lodging partners and targeting meeting‑planner markets, and noted Visit Loudoun’s work with Virginia Tourism Corporation and national partners to attract meetings and group business.
The presentation highlighted media attention — Beth said Visit Loudoun recorded roughly 85 media placements in a year — and proposed a visitor‑profile study to distinguish day trips from overnight stays, with data collection beginning the week after the meeting. Council members asked about source markets (including New York and Des Moines) and the age profile of users; Beth said the data show a strong Virginia market and a sizable 25–34 age cohort among online users, and that further visitor profiling will clarify actual visit behavior and spending.
Council members welcomed the briefing and asked for follow‑up materials. Beth offered to return with focused FY27 marketing proposals and to share the visitor‑profile results when available.
Quote: "We had nearly 900 survey respondents," Beth said. "One of the things that is a focus of the plan is...how do we bring in and push visitation on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays in the middle of the week."
