About the Awards
Timeline
2025 Timeline
Nominations Open: May 1
Nominations Close: May 30
Awards: August 5, 2025
Rules
Purpose
Judging and Award Announcements
Friends of Southwest Virginia selects industry experts across the Southeast United States to judge each category and select award winners. The winners are announced at an awards luncheon in August at the Celebrate Tourism Conference.
Who Can Enter
Southwest Virginia Tourism Awards is open to tourism organizations, tourism and economic development individuals, and tourism-related businesses located within the 19 counties of the Southwest Virginia region.
Eligibility
Entries should relate to destination marketing and tourism initiatives within Southwest Virginia throughout the 2024 year.
How to Enter
Complete Entry Form.
Please ensure that entries reflect work completed during the year 2024. We will not be accepting submissions for work done in 2025.
Use the following checklist to submit an entry:
For Excellence In Tourism Marketing Campaigns
Include description of campaign and results, include overall campaign budget, supporting materials, photos and videos (add links to Word doc to submit), and PDF of proof of project.
For Excellence in Tourism Marketing Collateral
Upload a copy of rack card, brochure, magazine, or print ad. For videos, upload link to video.
For Excellence in Tourism Partners and Tourism Leadership Awards
Include summary of individual or organization and include why the person or organization should be honored.
Awards Categories
Excellence In Tourism Marketing Campaigns
Each of the following categories will have two budget sub-categories:
Two Sub-Categories
- Tourism Marketing Budget – $50,000 or Less
- Tourism Marketing Budget – $50,000 or More
Best PR Campaign
This category recognizes the best use of earned media and media activations to draw attention to destinations, businesses and special events.
Best Overall Destination Marketing Campaign
This category recognizes the best overall marketing campaign including paid media, earned media, marketing content creation, and successful results in driving visitation to a destination or region.
Best Outdoor and Adventure Tourism Campaign
This category recognizes outstanding marketing efforts that feature the outdoor and adventure experiences in Southwest Virginia.
Best Social Media Campaign
This category showcases a social media campaign that was developed to drive visitation back to your destination, attraction, or event.
Excellence in Tourism Marketing Collateral
To submit a nomination in this category, please upload the marketing asset in the nomination form. Each of the following categories will have two budget sub-categories:
Two Sub-Categories
- Tourism Marketing Budget – $50,000 or Less
- Tourism Marketing Budget – $50,000 or More
Marketing Assets
- Best Rack Card or Brochure
- Best Magazine Guide
- Best Print Ad
- Best Visitor Guide
- Best Short Video (less than 60 seconds)
- Best Long Video (more than 60 seconds)
- Best Video Series (more than 3 videos in a series)
- Best Video for an Event
- Best New Website
Excellence in Tourism Partners
Outstanding Attraction of the Year
Award will recognize an attraction in Southwest Virginia that exemplifies excellence in their operations and marketing efforts.
Outstanding Visitor Center of the Year
Award will recognize a Visitor Center who consistently deliveries of high quality and face to face information services to the visitor.
Outstanding Meeting Venue of the Year
Over the past two years, the meeting industry has had to overcome many challenges. This award will recognize a meeting venue that has overcome those many obstacles with innovative approaches while welcoming meeting attendees back from COVID shutdowns.
Outstanding One-Day Event of the Year
Award will recognize a one-day event that had community support and attracted visitors to Southwest Virginia.
Outstanding Festival of the Year (2 or more days)
Award will recognize a multi-day event that had community support and attracted visitors to Southwest Virginia.
Outstanding New Tourism Business of the Year
Award will recognize excellence in the planning and development of a NEW tourism business and/or service that opened in 2022
Outstanding Hotel of the Year
The award will recognize a hotel that has played a key role in driving tourism to a locality, county, and region.
Excellence in Tourism Leadership
Outstanding Hotel Manager of the Year
This award honors a hotel manager who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and partnership, significantly contributing to the success of a tourism organization through outstanding collaboration, service, and support.
Outstanding Volunteer
This award celebrates a dedicated volunteer whose time, energy, and commitment have made a meaningful impact on a tourism organization and its mission.
Outstanding Tourism Partner of the Year
The award recognizes an individual or organization that has been a tremendous partner to a tourism organization.
Outstanding Visitor Center Employee of the Year
Rising Star
Tourism professional that is an emerging leader within the tourism industry.
Shining Star – Tourism Executive of the Year
The award recognizes an individual that has made an outstanding and lasting contribution to tourism within the Southwest Virginia region.