Newport News Tourism
Newport News Tourism (NNT) is a division of the Department of Communications. We are employees of the City of Newport News. NNT is located at 702 Town Center Drive, Newport News, VA 23606. The Newport News Visitor Center (NNVC) is sanctioned by the Virginia Tourism Corporation, Virginia’s state travel office, and is a part of NNT. The NNVC is located at 13560 Jefferson Avenue, Newport News, VA 23603. NNT is funded by the City of Newport News' General Fund.
History
In 1986, Newport News became involved in two regional tourism programs. The first was the Virginia Peninsula Tourism & Conference Bureau, funded by the cities of Newport News, Hampton, Poquoson and York County; and the second was the Virginia Peninsula Tourist Information Center, which was under the direction of Newport News’ Department of Libraries and Information.
As tourism trends changed, the focus on the Virginia Peninsula as a collective marketing effort faded, and more attention was given to each individual locality promoting itself. In 1993, Newport News Tourism was established and operated for two years under a contract with Christopher Newport University.
On July 1, 1995, Newport News Tourism became one division under the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. The tourism division set the stage for a more unified effort in promoting the city, including its hotels, attractions, events and restaurants.
Mission & More
The mission of Newport News Tourism is to enthusiastically promote the City of Newport News and its hospitality industry through creative marketing initiatives and cooperative programs that will increase revenue, visitation and awareness. Similarly, the mission of the Newport News Visitor Center to enthusiastically exceed the needs of our visitors while marketing Newport News accommodations, attractions, events, restaurants, shopping venues, etc. that will ultimately cause them to spend more money in our city.
Community Awareness
Train and educate City Officials, Council, city employees, the hospitality industry, the Newport News Hospitality Association members and friends and family to the importance of tourism and all that our city offers travelers. Newport News is a major tourism destination with its convenient central location next to Williamsburg and a short drive to Virginia Beach.
Vision
Build an enthusiastic, credible, ethical, professional, innovative, creative tourism team that leads our industry. A team that is highly respected, supported and admired by our city, region and state officials and is influential and easily adaptive to developmental change that might affect our industry and the nation.
Goals
- Conduct effective sales and marketing programs to attract visitors.
- Produce advertising campaigns and programs to attract leisure and group business.
- Provide visitor information services and publications that promote our area as a destination.
- Educate our local community on the importance of tourism and enlighten our citizens on the “treasures” our city offers visitors.
- Operate a professional bureau that provides leadership, conducts networking programs and supplies tourism information to assist the growth of our local tourism industry.
- Develop and maintain a tourism website.
- Produce quarterly electronic marketing campaign messages.
- Professionally lead the creation of strategic, flexible marketing and business plans to ensure marketing activities are being performed. Establish policies and procedures for the tourism office, provide sound fiscal management for NNT, and administer all contracts and procurement.
- Develop and execute a plan to promote a wider understanding of travel and tourism as a major U.S. industry that contributes substantially to the economic, cultural, and social well-being of Newport News.
- To initiate, effectively communicate and cooperate with tourism representatives, and bring cohesion to the travel industry, Newport News Hospitality Association, governmental entities. In the development and implementation of programs and policies, and to advise in any issues that would directly affect the facilitation and promotion of travel to and within the City.
- Provide NNT staff and industry representatives with resources needed for continuing education, on-going customer service training, personal development and enhanced product knowledge to benefit tourists and citizens.
- Work with NNT employees and industry to identify revenue-saving cooperative opportunities and develop and implement programs beneficial to the travel supplier and consumer.
- Act as a professional spokesperson for the City of Newport News on tourism-related topics.
- Assist Newport News in sustaining tax revenues generated by tourism.