The Danville Office of Economic Development & Tourism, the official destination marketing organization for the City of Danville and Pittsylvania County, is conducting a survey to develop plans for a regional tourism brand and marketing program. All citizens and business owners in the city and county are strongly encouraged to take part.
The tourism survey, which is open now and available at dptourismsurvey.com, includes questions that explore favorite local assets, community attributes, and citizen perceptions. This is an important effort, as the information gathered will help shape the community’s tourism story and promotional investments for years to come.
“Brands are about reputation, and a community’s tourism brand should be informed by the people and places it is meant to represent,” said Tourism Manager Lisa Meriwether. “We are really excited to be kicking off this process and eager to hear the insights and observations our community will share. We want to work through this process together, taking our time, and doing our best to make sure everyone who wants to be involved has a way to make their voices heard.”
Starting today, and stretching over the next several days, every business and household in the region will receive a blue postcard inviting them to participate in this effort. The headline reads, “Change is coming, help shape it.” Citizens are encouraged to scan the provided QR code or use the URL dptourismsurvey.com to take the survey from their cell phone, tablet, or computer.
Anyone in the community who is not connected to the internet or who would prefer a paper-based survey can also visit their local library to participate. The Danville-Pittsylvania County tourism survey should take most people about 15 minutes to complete. All surveys must be completed by midnight on July 15.
“It’s incredibly exciting to see our region unite around all the opportunity in front of us,” said Kattie Saunders, project manager for the Pittsylvania County Economic Development Department. “There is an unprecedented amount of attention on our region right now, and we have the opportunity to help shape and share our story with the world.”
A few weeks after the survey closes, the initial findings and more information about how they will be used to shape the community’s new brand identity system and tourism marketing plans will be shared back with the community through a series of public meetings. The dates and times for these events will be announced later this summer.
About the City of Danville’s Office of Economic Development & Tourism
The office of Economic Development & Tourism is responsible for leading the City of Danville’s tourism efforts by branding and promoting the city and Pittsylvania County to differentiate it from other regional competitors through advertising, promotions, trade events, and visitor experience initiatives to stimulate economic growth for the region.