The Arlington Convention and Visitors Service (ACVS), the official destination marketing organization for Arlington, announced its new tourism brand at an event on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023. Centered on the message “All in Arlington,” the organization wants to inspire enthusiasm about Arlington among travelers and meeting professionals. It is designed to highlight visitor attractions and activities throughout Arlington, from historic discoveries to cultural experiences to unexpected adventures.
The branding update was paid for by federal ARPA funds appropriated by the Virginia General Assembly to Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) for Covid recovery of the tourism industry. In February 2022, Arlington County received a $3.25 million VTC ARPA Tourism Recovery Program grant to fund new marketing and sales initiatives that drive overnight hotel stays and spending at local businesses.
In mid-2022, Arlington began working with marketing agency Fuseideas LLC on an end-to-end brand research and development process. Synthesizing findings from existing and new research combined with stakeholder and audience interviews, Fuseideas revealed a significant evolution in the perception of Arlington as a destination.
“All in Arlington” represents a changing destination landscape and new ways that Arlington satisfies the needs and expectations of post-pandemic visitors. With Arlington ranking #1 Fittest U.S. City, #4 Best Park System in America, Platinum Walk Friendly Community, and #2 Happiest Place in the U.S., Arlington and its diverse, welcoming neighborhoods combine the best of city life and urban outdoor living, ACVS said in its release.
“Before the pandemic, Arlington was consistently ranked Virginia’s #1 county for visitor spending,” said ACVS Director Emily Cassell.
The Northern Virginia region, which makes up 42% of travel activity in the state, was the most negatively impacted by the pandemic and experienced a drastic decline in visitation and tourism revenues. Arlington was one of the hardest areas hit, with a significant 57% decline in visitor spending and a 65% decline in accommodation spending in 2020. However, Arlington is now poised for a strong recovery throughout 2023 and into 2024.