2023 Award Winners

WYTHEVILLE, Va. (Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023) –  Tourism professionals representing communities across Southwest Virginia gathered on Tuesday during the fourth annual Celebrate Tourism Summit held at the Wytheville Meeting Center. During the event, Friends of Southwest Virginia hosted the Southwest Virginia Tourism Awards Ceremony to celebrate the outstanding work within the tourism industry in Southwest Virginia. 

In recognition of the incredible work and contributions in advancing the Southwest Virginia Tourism Industry, Friends of Southwest Virginia was honored to present 38 awards in a number of categories that reflected tourism marketing, visitor services, special events, and tourism leadership. The Tourism Awards were open to tourism organizations, tourism and economic development individuals, and tourism-related businesses located within the 19 counties and four (4) independent cities of the Southwest Virginia region.

“Our tourism partners have shared with us over the last year how much momentum they can feel in the tourism industry in Southwest Virginia,” said Kim Davis, Executive Director of Friends of Southwest Virginia. “We are proud to celebrate the accomplishments of each of our tourism and hospitality partners who have made this possible through their promotion and development throughout the region.”

Southwest Virginia tourism professionals submitted more than 90 nominations. Winners were chosen after a panel of tourism industry professionals from across the Southeastern United States.

The 2023 Southwest Virginia Tourism Award winners include:

Excellence In Tourism Marketing

Best Rack Card or Brochure

Marketing Budget $50,000 or Less

Floyd County Tourism

Floyd Outdoors

Best Print Ad

Marketing Budget $50,000 or Less

Blue Ridge Institute & Museum

50th Anniversary of the Blue Ridge Folk Life Festival

Best Magazine Guide

Marketing Budget $50,000 or Less

City of Norton

The High Knob Adventure Guide

Best Short Video – Less than 60 Seconds

Grayson County Tourism

Grayson County – Elevated By Nature

Best Long Video – More than 60 seconds

Marketing Budget $50,000 or More

Visit Wytheville

Get Lost and Discover Wytheville

Best Video Series for a Destination

High Knob Regional Initiative/UVA-Wise

Growing Smart on High Knob

Best New Website for an Attraction

Carter Family Fold

Best New Website for a Locality

Marketing Budget $50,000 or More

Visit NRV 

Best Social Media Campaign

Marketing Budget $50,000 or More

Birthplace of Country Music

Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion

Excellence In Tourism Partners

Outstanding Meeting Venue of the Year

Less than 25,000 Visitors

Rural Retreat Depot Foundation

Outstanding Hotel of the Year

Trinkle Mansion Bed & Breakfast

Nominated by Visit Wytheville

Outstanding New Tourism Businesses of the Year

Primitive Coffee – Antique Market & Bakery

Nominated by Patrick County Chamber of Commerce

Marion Outdoors

Nominated by Smyth County Tourism Association

Outstanding One Day Event of the Year

More than 2,000 Attendees

The New River Valley Sheep and Goat Festival

Outstanding Festival of the Year with 2 or More Days

More than 10,000 Attendees

FloydFest

Nominated by Floyd County Tourism

Old-Time Fiddlers Convention

Nominated by Galax Tourism

Excellence In Tourism Leadership

Outstanding Tourism Partner of the Year

The Bristol Hotel

Nominated by the Birthplace of Country Music

Rising Star

Grace Cooper

Patrick County Tourism

Outstanding Destination Organization Leadership Award

Tonya Triplett

Visit Abingdon