Virginia Explorer - Demo - (Page 13)

Meet the People Making Virginia Such a Wonderful Place to Visit really a detail person. I enjoy the challenge in seeing a group of 400 people tour the caverns, have lunch and go to their next stop—all on schedule. I also have a great staff here to help me. Our company has been in operation for 129 years, and we all take pride in what we do,” John added. Even though the company has been in business for nearly 130 years, today it’s at the forefront of tourism trends that highlight experiential tours and soft adventure packages. “As the visitor meanders along the paved pathways of the caverns, through the huge chambers and gigantic halls, he can experience the feel of the underworld. Our visitors can breathe the healthy limestone air, smell the earthy environment, and hear the haunting melodies of the world’s largest musical instrument, the great ‘stalacpipe’ organ,” John explained. Besides the caverns, the attraction offers a café and restaurant with a wide variety of menu selections; the Car and Carriage Museum, which traces the history of transportation in America with more than 140 items dating to 1725; and the Garden Maze, with more than 1500 trees. Ideally located on the outskirts of Washington, DC, Luray Caverns hosted visitors from 51 countries and all 50 states last year. For more information, call John at 540-743-6551, ext. 250, or visit www. luraycaverns.com. By Cherie Had JOHN SHAFFER Director of Marketing and Sales LURAY CAVERNS MARTHA STEGER Recently Retired as Director of Public Relations Virginia Tourism Corporation Luray Caverns has inspired feelings of awe and mystery in many a visitor. John Shaffer, the cavern’s director of marketing and sales, grew up in Luray, Virginia, and has had a life-long fascination with the largest and most popular caverns in Eastern America. John began his tourism career as a part-time tour guide while in college. After graduation from Virginia Tech, with a degree in business, the attraction offered him a full-time position, and he has never left. “I so enjoy the industry in which I work and the community where I live,” he said. “As far as the tourism industry goes, I think I’m a lifer. My initial entry into management was working with groups, and now, even though I work in public relations and marketing, I still enjoy packaging tours and working with groups. “One of the biggest concerns that tour operators have is the lack of attention some suppliers pay to details. I am There’s a pair of mighty big shoes to ﬁll at the Virginia Tourism Corporation. Martha Steger, the director of public relations, wore them for 25 years, making some formidable footprints to advance and enhance Virginia’s tourism industry. Martha retired in late October, but her leadership and accomplishments will be felt for many years to come. In 1985, before the Internet was in use, Martha realized that “if I was going to prove the worth of our public relations program, we needed to have a measurement device, other than just tracking the circulation of the publications that wrote about us. We needed to be able to show our efforts were producing hotel bookings.” Martha got a toll-free number that would appear in all the stories produced by her department and then did a conversion study, similar to the ones done to gauge the effectiveness of advertising. “That year, we tracked enough calls to show that 67 percent of the people who called our toll-free number actually visited Virginia. I thought this was too high, so we did it again in 1986. That year, it was 68 percent. It did provide a measurable basis to justify spending money on PR,” she said. Martha also helped spearhead the 20th anniversary celebration of the “Virginia is for Lovers” campaign in 1989. “We were just coming up on 1988, and I realized that we had to do something stupendous for the slogan’s anniversary. When the campaign began in 1969, it was indicative of the times. Even though the ‘ﬂower children’ were no longer around in 1989, the slogan is timeless and we continued to celebrate its anniversary every ﬁve years. Virginia is for lovers—lovers of the beach, history, mountains, etc. The double meaning continues to resonate with people because of the emotional connection,” she said. According to Martha, the biggest single advantage she felt she had was “working for four CEOs and two interim CEOs who understood and appreciated the value of public relations.” Martha’s new career will focus on freelance editing and writing and spending more time with her son, daughter, and two granddaughters. “After 25 years of working in tourism, my main focus now is getting this house straight enough to have them all come here for the holidays. For the last eight years, we’ve met somewhere else. Now they all want to come to Grandma’s house, and Grandma’s house better be ready,” Martha laughed. Picture This! Incredible museums, national historic sites and world-class shopping. Right here in Fairfax County, the center of the Washington Region Tourism experience. You’ll love being in the middle of things. Plan your next group tour today at fxva.com. 13 www.grouptournews.com Winter/Spring 2007-2008 • http://www.luraycaverns.com http://www.luraycaverns.com http://fxva.com http://fxva.com http://www.grouptournews.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Virginia Explorer - Demo

Virginia Explorer - Demo ABA Marketplace to Land in Virginia Beach in February Tracing Our Ancestors' Footsteps along the Wilderness Road From the Publisher Virginia's Spirited Spots Lead to American Whiskey Trail Dine Around Tidewater: Virginia's Seafood Style On the Road With Dylan and Pop-Pop: A Mountain Experience Sightseeing Tours: Seashore, Settlers, Steeples, Spirits, Shopping Celebrate Virginia Garden Week's 75th Anniversary in April Meet the People Making Virginia such a Wonderful Place to Visit Virginia Advertisers Specializing in Group Business

Virginia Explorer - Demo

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