Stafford County leaders say they don’t get a fair shake when it comes to the region’s efforts to attract out-of-town travelers.
Members of the that county’s Board of Supervisors earlier this month took issue with visitfred.com, a regional website designed to attract tourists to the region. They said happenings in Fredericksburg City are highlighted more frequently than those in Stafford.
The Board voted to provide $30,000 — about two months worth of funding — in what County Administrator Anthony Romanello called a “good faith investment” while tourism officials review the visitfred.com website and address the Stafford Supervisors’ concerns. It’s a fraction of the $175,000 the county had budgeted this year for tourism.
“We are not getting our bang for our buck,” said Falmouth District Supervisor Meg Bohmke. “The website is woefully inadequate as far as Stafford is concerned.”
Among the most recent events highlighted on the visitfred.com website, designed to draw crowds to Stafford County, were school plays that took place back in March, said Bohmke. The county regularly boasts two wineries, a marina, a Civil War Park, and Gari Melcher’s Museum as top attractions.
Hartwood District Supervisor Gary Snellings said while be known to locals for its rich history — Stafford County the boyhood home of George Washington — the Fredericksburg name is the regional draw.
“If you’re living in California and you want to take a trip to the east coast, you’re not going to Google “Stafford County.” It’s just not going to happen. Fredericksburg is the draw. Fredericksburg is everywhere,” said Snellings.
The regional tourism partnership is a tripartite agreement between Stafford and Spotsylvania counties and Fredericksburg City. Staff members from each of the three respective jurisdictions that manage tourism efforts are expected to address the Stafford County Board of Supervisors’ concerns at its next meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 7.
If Stafford County were to bow out of the regional tourism partnership, county taxpayers would be on the hook for $50,000 to fund the cost of reprinting marketing materials. The new printed guides and brochures would be lacking the Stafford name.
The goal of the partnership is to increase the amount of transit occupancy taxes, called TOT taxes that are collected at hotels and are paid by travelers, collected across the Fredericksburg region. It could be in Stafford’s best interest to remain in the group.
“Visitors don’t know boundaries,” said Eric Terry, president of the Virginia Restaurant and Travel Association. “They don’t know where Fredericksburg starts, or where Stafford starts… they have no idea.”
And they don’t care, he added. Most travelers want to travel to a region, see the sights, eat a nice restaurant, and stay at a comfortable hotel.
“The more marketing muscle you can get by having more resources, the better off you are,” he added.
