Will tourism still be a priority for Prince William County, Manassas?

Tourism is picking up in Prince William, but the group in charge of promoting the region faces cuts in their upcoming budget.

Discover Prince William/Manassas promotes the County and Manassas City as a destination for family vacations and those who are looking to connect with history. A total of $505 million is spent each year in the county and $65 million in the city by tourists visiting the region, according to agency director Ann Marie Maher. The tourism industry created more than 6,000 jobs in the region, she added.

Despite the numbers, as well as several factors like the opening of two new hotels, the continued development of Potomac Shores as a destination, and the Hylton Performing Arts Center, the agency expects a budget shortfall of about $370,000 next year. The  agency would operate on a $1 million budget. 

The shortfall could lead to the closure of a visitor center in Occoquan, a scale back of Discover’s marketing and advertising efforts, and a reduction in staff, and wage freezes for employees in its western Prince William County office.

Manassas City funds 8% of Discover’s budget, and officials there are evaluating just how much money the city will provide the agency. Manassas also funds Historic Manassas, Inc., which is charged with drawing local and regional crowds to the city’s Downtown.

“We won’t reduce the amount of money we spend on promoting Manassas, but we want to make sure we’re getting the best bang for our buck,” said Manassas City Manager Patrick Pate.

Maher said her office does a great job to promote the region, and city officials understand that even if they decide to reduce funding.

“There’s a thought that Prince William County promotes the area to get tourists here, so it might be easier for the city to just market to them when they’re already here,” said Maher.

Prince William officials are expected to approve their 2016 budget later this month. Manassas will approve its city budget afterward.

While funding for local tourism is sorted out, the number of visitors to Virginia continues to increase thanks to the state’s connection to history, and a growing film industry. Film projects such as HBO’s John Adams, Lincoln, Evan Almighty, and the AMC-TV series Turn were shot in the Commonwealth. That helps to bring in travelers.

“People want to walk in the footsteps of Lincoln, and great movie directors like Steven Speilberg,” said Virginia Tourism Corporation President and CEO Rita McClenny.

She spoke to those who gathered Friday afternoon for the “Impact of Tourism” event hosted by the Prince William Chamber of Commerce at Stonewall Golf Club. Virginia’s outdoor destinations, it’s beaches, Colonial Williamsburg, and shopping are the state’s top tourism drivers, she added.

Looking to capitalize on the outdoors, Discover Prince William / Manassas showed a new video depicting a family vacationing in the area and visiting Leesylvania State Park on the Potomac River in Woodbridge, Manassas Battlefield National Park, and Historic Downtown Manassas. The video was designed to attract families to the region.

Discover hopes to produce additional videos to target more specialized markets such as military reunions and outdoor enthusiasts. If funding is reduced, Maher said, the new videos may not be made.