Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau Announces the Release of a New Tourism Master Plan

June 27, 2024

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – The Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau (CACVB) has announced the release of its first-ever tourism master plan, a 20-year community plan designed to center Charlottesville & Albemarle County around a shared tourism vision for its future. The plan, named Destination 2045: Crafting Our Tourism Future Together, was created in partnership with Richmond-based research and strategy firm S.I.R. and aims to cement the region’s reputation as an ideal location to live, work, play, and visit. Additionally, the plan outlines strategic steps for long-term and sustainable growth while balancing the values of the community. The CACVB Board of Directors approved the plan at its most recent meeting on Monday, June 24.

Two key focus areas emerged from the planning process and stakeholder input:

Infrastructure

• Outdoor recreation
• Transportation

Industry advancement

• Promoting and maturing regional tourism assets
• Mid-week travel
• Local businesses

“When I arrived here nearly five years ago, I knew that our community and industry had a shared vision that had not yet been realized,” said Courtney Cacatian, Executive Director of the CACVB. “Through this exercise, we have identified needs and limitations but also a path where our community improves through the tourism industry’s contribution. We have so many of the building blocks of success that along with this plan, we will be able to collaborate and grow together over the next 20 years.”

The tourism master plan was created using a multi-phased approach from August 2023 to June 2024, utilizing a variety of diverse stakeholder perspectives received through one-on-one interviews, small group meetings, visitor and industry surveys, and workshops with the CACVB Board of Directors. The plan reflects the voices of more than 150 stakeholders and 800 past and prospective visitors. The research collected from these surveys and workshops is also available on the CACVB website. The team reviewed relevant strategic plans from partner organizations and conducted a landscape assessment, competitive analysis, trends analysis, economic impact analysis, and SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis.

To read the tourism master plan in its entirety, click here.

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.

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