Member Area

Our Mission

SVTA is a private, non-profit membership organization founded in 1924 to promote the tourism assets of the Valley to the world. The 200-mile region follows the Shenandoah River and Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountains from Harpers Ferry, WV, to Roanoke/Salem, Va. It is composed of more than 350 Valley attractions; lodging establishments including hotels, motels, country inns, bed & breakfasts and campgrounds; restaurants; tourism offices; chambers of commerce; convention and visitor bureaus; and city, town and county governments.

SVTA Marketing

• Compiles, publishes and distributes an annual Shenandoah Valley Travel Guide, printing 200,000 copies. The Travel Guide is the most comprehensive in the Valley for listings of attractions, lodgings, restaurants, shopping and travel services. It is distributed to all Virginia Welcome Centers, local/regional visitor centers across the state, all Valley Visitor Centers, Interstate 81 Rest Areas, member businesses, numerous out-of-state consumer and golf shows, and targeted American Automobile Association offices nationally.
   
• Maintains and enhances the organization's website, www.VisitShenandoah.org, where each SVTA member has a comprehensive listing and link to its own website.
   
• Owns, operates and staffs the Shenandoah Valley Regional Tourist Information Center adjacent to Interstate 81, Exit 264, in New Market in the heart of the Valley. The state-certified facility is open seven days a week, eight hours a day year around and provides comprehensive lighted advertising displays, brochures and booklets on Valley tourism and the entire Commonwealth. The facility also serves as the SVTA Headquarters Office. SVTA members each have their own brochure pocket at the visitor center.
   
• Coordinates regional Valley marketing co-ops by purchasing advertising space in publications, reducing member participant costs.
   
• As a joint operation with the Virginia Tourism Corporation, Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association, and Virginia Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus, SVTA annually manages and coordinates some 26 out-of-state consumer trade shows in cities such as Tampa, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington DC, and Cleveland. Total projected attendance is 2,000,000 potential Virginia visitors.
   
• Conducts a comprehensive Group Tour Program for motorcoaches, including a Group Tour Planner, membership and attendance at the American Bus Association (ABA), National Tour Association (NTA), and Travel South industry conferences, as well as membership and participation with Pennsylvania and North Carolina bus associations.
   
• Manages an annual Consumer Golf Show Program with booth exhibits and staffing in Rochester, Philadelphia, Summerset (NJ), Scranton, Pittsburgh, Boston, and Toronto. Statewide support is received from the Virginia Tourism Corporation and the Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, Fredericksburg and Roanoke Golf Associations represented by Go Golf.
   
• Operates an annual toll-free consumer Fall Leaf Hotline (800-434-LEAF), providing timely fall foliage updates.
   
• Sponsors, creates itineraries, and conducts familiarization tours for travel writers, American Automobile Association travel counselors, State Welcome Center counselors, motorcoach owners and group tour leaders, and other industry leaders.
   
• Publishes the bi-monthly Shenandoah Traveler Newsletter, providing members topical information on organization and industry activities. Generates periodic tourism news releases.
   
• Conducts regular Membership and Board of Director Meetings throughout the Valley with expert tourism-related speakers and presentations.
   
• All members receive an annual Membership Card valid for complimentary admission to member Valley attractions and museums. The card has a retail value of more than $1,000.

Join us:

• New Member Application Form

Member Services
(each requires log-in):

• Listing Update: Form to change your information on the web site.
• Calendar Updates: Add to or update your listings on the web site.

News

• Southern Living featured "Springtime in the Shenandoah" with four fabulous pages in the March 2006 edition, citing the SVTA and VisitShenandoah.org very prominently for travel information.
• New York Daily News Travel features the Valley.
• Gallagher's Travels features the Valley with raves and promises to return.

Memberships and affiliations

• Virginia and West Virginia tourism offices
• Blue Ridge Parkway Association
• Virginia Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus
• Virginia Hospitality & Travel Association
• Virginia Civil War Trails
• Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation
• Pennsylvania and North Carolina Bus Associations
• American Bus Association
• National Tour Association
• Travel South

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©2006 Shenandoah Valley Travel Association
Updated 02-Sep-2006