Aug. 31, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Tony O'Leary
304-558-2288, ext. 318
toleary@wvcommerce.org

State Tourism office earns national advertising award

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The West Virginia Division of Tourism won a Mercury Award at the tourism industry's annual Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations (ESTO) conference on Tuesday.

The Division won the Technical Marketing category for its development and marketing of seven travel interest targeted mini-Web sites.

Each site contains information about various travel topics, such as whitewater rafting, winter skiing, or West Virginia culture. Each page within the site is targeted to a different audience segment about that travel topic. The sites are also driven by a sophisticated profile database that gave the Division valuable demographic, interest, and traffic information to inform its marketing investments.

"This national award demonstrates the value of using technology to deliver specific and relevant information about West Virginia to the savviest of online travel consumers," said Tom Bulla, secretary of commerce. "It shows how the Division is staying ahead of the curve in using technology to market the state as a great destination.

"The state of West Virginia is operating like a business using tools like audience targeted sites and database profiling to be accountable and to get the best return for our marketing dollars. It's gratifying to see West Virginia at the top of the class."

Each year, 11 Mercury Awards are presented at the ESTO conference. West Virginia has won 10 Mercury Awards in the past seven years.

"I've always known that our Tourism marketing efforts are among the best in the nation. This award just confirms it," said Governor Joe Manchin III. "It's very flattering to see the Division win 10 national awards in seven years while vying for these honors against many larger states."

The Tourism Industry Association of America, the organization that sponsors the annual educational seminar, created the Mercury Awards in 1985. The awards recognize state and territory tourism offices for excellent accomplishments in travel marketing and promotion.

The seven Tourism mini-sites were created in cooperation with Charles Ryan and Associates and its technical division, REV Interactive. They are,

wvtraditions.com - Civil War history, Appalachian arts/craft/music, scenic railroads and coal heritage.
wvriversports.com - Whitewater rafting, kayaking, boating, other water sports.
wvescapes.com - Featuring several of West Virginia's "small-town" gems.
wvwintersports.com - Downhill skiing, snowboarding, tubing, other winter fun.
wvweekends.com - Romantic getaways, cozy cabins, spas, B&Bs.
wvgolfing.com - Golf and golf resorts, with a full listing of all state courses.
wvbyways.com - Featuring all of the state's designated scenic highways and byways.

New mini-sites covering such topics as museums, group tours/meetings, fall foliage and more are scheduled to come online in the future.

"We are especially proud that the State has won another Mercury Award," said Betty Carver, commissioner of tourism. "The Division's goal is to provide the tourism industry the best possible ideas, campaigns and tools to continually enhance our state as a premier tourist destination. This award confirms the Division's commitment to promoting our state and, in turn, promoting our many tourism partners."

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