Glossary
What is a CVB or CVA?
A Convention & Visitors Bureau/Association is the organization that leads a community in tourism development and marketing. It is typically mandated to bring more leisure travelers, meetings, conventions, sports tournaments, and tour groups to the destination in order to generate revenue for the community. An association is different from a bureau in that it is typically made up of dues paying members.
What is a DMO?
A destination management or marketing organization. A DMO manages the following aspects of the tourism industry:
• Product Development: What the destination has to offer, including products and services that make the destination attractive to the visitor. A DMO manages the available products and services and assists with the development of new products and services.
• Research & Planning: Who the visitors are, both individual and group travelers. Research is conducted to determine who has the means and desire to travel and enjoy the destination. These groups become the destination’s “target markets” and planning takes place to effectively promote the destination to them.
• Promotion/Awareness & Marketing: How best to communicate and promote the destination to the target markets so they will make the decision to visit. The DMO strategically markets the destination to these specific demographic audiences.
• Advocacy & Community Relations: The profile of tourism in the local community. The DMO raises awareness of tourism within the community and demonstrates how tourism is a benefit to the community in terms of quality of life and the tax base.
These functions are typically performed by a CVB for the purpose of increasing visitation to a destination. It balances what the visitor wants with what the destination has to offer, while ensuring that the experience is sustainable.
The Loudoun Convention & Visitors Association is a CVA and a DMO that works with the entire Loudoun tourism industry to promote Loudoun as a destination for visitors.