Virginia: Full of surprises

The Governor said it best: “You drink our wine, you eat our oysters – that’s why we say that Virginia is for lovers!”

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe was the guest of honour at an event showcasing the U.S. destination – particularly its emerging culinary and craft beverage industry – to industry partners and media in Toronto last night.

“You’ve got a choice of 50 states to visit,” Governor McAuliffe told guests, “but let’s be honest, there is no choice. We’ve got 28 miles of oceanfront beaches, we’ve got the Blue Ridge Mountains, we’ve got great history, the beach, shopping, climate… we’ve got it all.”

Virginia has “been for lovers” since 1969, when its campaign slogan was developed and presented in bridal magazines. Since then, the evolution of the destination’s claim to fame has come to represent everything a tourist could love in a vacation. The Commonwealth has been long-known for its beach, its Appalachian mountains and, of course, its history, but there’s a lot more to Virginia than meets the eye.

“Our modern interpretation is that Virginia is for lovers of history, lovers of the outdoors, lovers of music, lovers of beauty,” Secretary of Commerce and Trade Maurice Jones told PAX in a one-on-one interview.

He and Rita McClenny, president and CEO of Virginia Tourism Corporation, stopped by the PAX office prior to the event to share the latest on the popular tourist spot, and what exactly makes Virginia such an attractive destination for Canadians. 

You can eat Oysters on the boat

November is Virginia Oyster Month, and the state will be opening its “Oyster Trail” – an attraction that Jones and McClenny said represents a long-standing industry in Virginia will be heavily promoting moving forward, thanks to a recent revitalization of the mollusk population.

“Watermen will take you out on the boat, and you can harvest the oysters, then eat them right there,” Jones said, explaining that Virginia has seven distinct oyster regions, with a range of flavours based on the area they’re harvested from. “We’ve got sweet oysters, salty oysters, briny oysters – it’s wild!”

The Commonwealth is overflowing

Virginia is fifth when it comes to wine production in the states (although Jones claims it won’t be long before they beat out Texas), and its burgeoning culinary industry has been widely acclaimed over the past few years by publications such Esquire, Conde Nast Traveler, Bon Appetit and Food & Wine.

“It really moved the needle in visitation,” McLenny said of the recognition Virginia has been receiving for its wine, craft beer and farm-to-table cuisine. “It was the reason people started to come to Virginia, to experience the breadth of our culinary offerings."

With more than 260 wineries and cideries, 100 craft breweries and 20 craft distilleries, Virginia is fast becoming the go-to place for foodies and beer-lovers alike.

It's got a Southern song & dance

“Country music was born in Virginia, not Nashville, Tennessee,” Jones shared, listing folk and bluegrass among some of its more popular genres.

From the 300 mile Crooked Road Music Trail, where travellers can discover the music of Appalachia, to the more casual experience of local music festivals and community events, Virginia has a wealth of musical offerings for every type of traveller.

The Commonwealth is also a popular spot for film & television buffs; the state has hosted popular Hollywood films such as Lincoln and Dirty Dancing (reportedly, there are Dirty Dancing-themed weekends featuring dance lessons), and is the set of emerging television programs as well, including AMC’s TURN, and a U.S., civil-war version of Downton Abbey, Mercy Street.

There’s a trail for everything

It’s no secret that Virginia is a destination for history buffs; from its civil war fields to its presidential past, there’s no shortage of historical moments to be relived in the Commonwealth, and with its ever-growing food and beverage scene, Virginia Tourism Corporation is always developing its themed trails, which are the best way to explore the state.

Most recent is the Tobacco Heritage Trail, the LoCo Ale Trail, and Richmond’s new Garden Trail. It’s the tourism organization’s goal to increase connectivity between the trails, to make regional visits smoother, and easier to plan.

On the topic of trails, sports tourism is another Virginia offering that Jones said is about to bloom, and although he wouldn't divulge the specifics of his plans to bring the market to the forefront, between its adventure attractions to its cycling, he did suggest the Canadian travel trade should keep a finger on Virginia's pulse over the next year or so.

According to Jones, the dip in the Canadian dollar hasn’t done much to deter tourism. With all that Virginia has to offer, and considering its 20-year relationship with Canada, there’s little cause for alarm.

“Many visitors will come to Virginia over other popular U.S. destinations,” he explained, “because they’ll get a better bang for their buck. We have a richer experience and it’s so accessible. The dollar will always bounce back.”

Fast travel facts:

1. Canada is Virginia’s biggest international market, and saw 511,717 Canadian visitors in 2013.
2. There are 24 daily flights to Virginia from four airports throughout Canada
3. Washington Dulles International Airport is the number one destination for Porter Airlines

For more information, visit: www.virginia.org/virginiaisforlovers/

PHOTO: Todd Haymore, Virginia's Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry; Heidi Johannesen, director of international marketing, Virginia Tourism Corporation; Terry McAuliffe​, Governor of Commonwealth Virginia; Rita McClenny, president and CEO of Virginia Tourism Corporation; The Honorable Maurice Jones, Secretary of Commerce and Trade & Sana Keller, president of Pulse Communications and Travel Marketing Inc.