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Who We Are............
The West Virginia Hospitality & Travel Association
(WVH&TA) is the official voice of the food service,
lodging, convention and visitors bureaus, and travel
industries in the state. The Association represents
the hospitality and travel industry's interests to both
governmental and private sectors. WVH&TA serves
as the connection between all those involved with the
development of tourism in West Virginia.
Why You Should Belong............
The Association is continually finding ways to
improve the amount of tourism dollars coming
to - and being spent in -West Virginia. Members
of WVH&TA share marketing ideas with their peers.
The Associations members also work together to
monitor local, state and national legislation and act
accordingly. It makes a difference when everyone
works as a team.
Teaming Up With The WV Tourism
Commission and The WV Division
Of Tourism............
The Association has an excellent working
relationship with the West Virginia
Tourism Commission and the West Virginia Division
of Tourism. The Commission and the Division staff
welcome advice and comments pertaining to the
state's efforts to promote tourism from association
leaders and members.
The success of the state's tourism marketing plan
results in direct benefits for the entire hospitality
industry. Through the private sectors Marketing Advisory
Committee, combined marketing efforts between
the state and private sector make
a stronger impact.
Let Us "Show" You The Way To Success............
The Association sponsors an annual tourism
convention at various locations throughout the state.
The agenda includes educational seminars,
informational meetings with state and other governmental
officials, and a trade show featuring vendors who
provide the latest information pertaining to the travel
and hospitality industry.
The Association is always looking for ways to provide
forums for discussion on specific areas of interest, and
problem-solving on a grass roots level.
Invest In A Membership............
Your membership in the Association is really an
investment in your future. In a world where "going it
alone" is not a wise business decision (nor usually a
profitable venture), you will find that a membership
will be one of the best investments that you'll
ever make.
What Does It Cost?............
Membership dues are based on the size and/or volume
of your business. This allows each member to pay
their fair share of this cooperative effort to support
West Virginia tourism.
We Keep An Eye On Government............
The West Virginia Hospitality & Travel Association
is the legislative voice of the hospitality industry.
Our professional government relations staff, working
with daily input from our members and legislators,
has successfully increased the state marketing budget
for tourism by more than 680 percent. In 1989, the
state marketing budget was $850,000. Today it totals
$6.9 million. It has increased through the appropriation of lottery funds and video lottery funds. The
video lottery funds have been used to provide dollars
for the Cooperative Tourism Promotion Fund, which
allows areas in the state to receive 50/50 matching grants to
enhance their advertising purchasing power.
The West Virginia Tourism Commission, which was
also created through the work of WVH&TA, allows
industry input into decisions affecting tourism in
West Virginia.
WVH&TA has also been instrumental in stopping
detrimental legislation, including a fast food tax, an
increase in the liquor tax, double taxation of hotel
amenities, protection of the hotel/motel tax for designated purposes, increases in your insurance costs, and
a new one- the amusement and recreation tax - just to
name a few. Additionally, by joining WVH&TA, you
automatically become a member of the American
Hotel & Motel Association, if you are a lodging member; or the National Restaurant Association if you are
a restaurant member.
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