Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau Honors Inaugural Tourism For All Cohort Graduates

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – The Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau (CACVB) is excited to announce that the inaugural class of Tourism for All cohort participants has graduated. Destinations International, the world’s largest and most reliable resource for destination organizations and convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs), announced the launch of its “Tourism for All” pilot program in partnership with the CACVB in fall 2022. The pilot program is designed to support CVBs and destination organizations in being more inclusive, welcoming, and accessible to both prospective visitors and tourism businesses.

This pilot program illustrates the CVB’s value in a new way through its engagement with the entire community, access to opportunities in the tourism economy, and being the leader in welcoming all people to a destination. Through a focus on inclusive marketing, welcoming diverse demographics, and creating accessible spaces, the CVB can become the bright beacon to which people from anywhere can find commonality and community, while also attracting new and underserved travelers to the destination.

Cohort participants committed to a rigorous six-month program featuring five courses, in addition to creating a welcoming statement for their organization and crafting an action plan for the next year in which they pledge to lead their organizations in activities aimed at two of four welcoming pillars: internal practices, customer relations, community partnerships, and intentionally inclusive promotion. Sophia Hyder Hock, Chief Diversity Officer at Destinations International, was the primary instructor. Mallory Smith, TripAdvisor, and Talia Salem, Urban Nomad Consulting, served as additional resources.

"The collaborative efforts of Destinations International, alongside Courtney Cacatian and her dedicated team at the CACVB, Mallory Smith, and Talia Salem, have ignited a transformative vision for destination organizations and their communities,” said Sophia Hyder Hock, Chief Diversity Officer at Destinations International. “The 'Tourism for All' program is not just an initiative; it's a resounding testament to our shared belief that by fostering community awareness and action, alongside the transformative power of travel, we can create destinations that genuinely welcome and embrace people of all backgrounds and abilities. It's a commitment to building bridges, breaking barriers, and fostering a deeper understanding that transcends borders and boundaries."

Participants in the cohort represented a wide swath of the tourism economy:

Sara Bishop, Hyatt Place Stonefield

Lilia Fuquen, Rivanna River Company

Sterling Howell, Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society

Tracey Love, Blenheim Vineyards

Julie Montross, The Paramount Theater

Amber Smith, The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative

Jordan Summers, Knight’s Gambit Vineyard

Mark White, Boar's Head Resort

Jason Woodle, James Monroe’s Highland

New City Arts

The CACVB also offered the opportunity to audit this program to a handful of organizations with the hopes of improving training throughout the community and commonwealth. These participants were:

Jenny Biche, City of Charlottesville Economic Development

Wirt Confroy, Virginia Tourism Corporation

Jane Lammay, Virginia Tourism Corporation

Jennifer Lyon, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello

"It has been such a pleasure to take part in the Tourism for All initiative,” said Jason Woodle, Marketing and Events Manager at James Monroe’s Highland. “As a tourist destination with a long history of welcoming visitors, Highland has always sought to be accessible to everyone, though there are always ways to improve. Working with the CACVB and regional partner organizations has allowed us to evaluate how we connect with guests to ensure we offer an experience that exceeds expectations."

The cohort graduated this morning at James Monroe’s Highland at a day-long Tourism for All conference highlighting cohort participants’ journeys, research from the Virginia Tourism Corporation, and impactful community partnerships. Regional communities were able to participate in the day’s conference thanks to a sponsorship from the Virginia Tourism Corporation.

“Tourism for All has been an incredible learning experience and collaborative journey,” said Courtney Cacatian, Executive Director, CACVB. “Being alongside our partners as they find ways to improve their businesses and non-profits by engaging with historically excluded persons has been personally and professionally gratifying. I’m confident that Tourism for All is leading the nation in how to be intentionally welcoming to everyone. Our tourism master plan will be unveiled later this spring after months of research and stakeholder feedback. This work is playing a major role in our community’s path forward.”

The impact for Charlottesville and Albemarle County with the Tourism for All effort is impressive and far reaching. In recent research by SIR, a Richmond-based research firm, visitor survey respondents recalled seeing Tourism for All news above all other types of advertising for this area.

Tourism for All Awareness

As part of Tourism for All, Tripadvisor has created the Welcoming Index with input from Destinations International and the CACVB. It analyzes Tripadvisor comments and reviews for welcoming language and is a metric that can track inclusivity work over time. When tracking the past four years, the Welcoming Index indicates that welcoming sentiment has increased for the Charlottesville area and is performing better than a top competitor.

Tourism For All Welcoming Index

Regional partners who would like to participate in the next cohort should contact Courtney Cacatian.

Communities who would like to participate in Destinations International’s future Tourism for All trainings should contact Sophia Hyder Hock.

About the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau

The Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau (CACVB) welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors to the region each year from all over the world who are seeking a variety of unique experiences in history, food, wine, spirits, and adventure. The CACVB serves as the global resource for marketing the tourism assets of the City of Charlottesville and County of Albemarle, and assists tour operators, meeting planners, and other groups in planning visits to the destination. The CACVB’s mission is to enhance the economic prosperity of the people of the City and County by promoting, selling, and marketing the area as a destination, in pursuit of the meetings and tourism markets.

About Destinations International

Destinations International is the world’s largest and most reliable resource for destination organizations, convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) and tourism boards. For more information, visit www.destinationsinternational.org.

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