Administration
- Executive
- Provides oversight and direction for strategic planning, establishing and reaching goals and objectives, and daily operation of the agency.
- Budget/Finance
- Prepares the annual budget for the Division of Tourism.
- Develops in-house budgets and monitors all expenditures.
- Develops annual reporting information to the House and Senate Finance Committees.
- Provides information to the Legislature, State Budget Office and other stakeholders regarding funding for the Division of Tourism.
- General Accounts Payable
- Responds to vendors with information regarding payments for services rendered.
- Works with vendors to obtain vendor registration and W-9 information.
- Works with the Auditor’s Office regarding PCard and payment information.
- Works with the Purchasing Division regarding RFP’s and other purchasing procedures and issues.
- Participates in annual meetings such as the Purchasing, PCard and Auditor’s Conference.
- Matching Advertising Partnership Program (MAPP)
- Manages reimbursements to MAPP fund recipients.
- Responds to applicants, Tourism Commissioners, State Budget Office, Legislators and sometimes the media regarding questions on MAPP funding.
- Conducts on-site field audits of MAPP participants and provides a report of findings and recommendations to the Legislature.
- Participates in regional workshops to educate the tourism industry regarding the reimbursement requirements for MAPP.
- Participates in monthly Tourism Commission meetings and committee meetings.
- Participates in the annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism.
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Human Resources
- Payroll, Benefits, Employee Relations, Training, Privacy, EEO
- Performs payroll functions for division employees
- Oversees health, life, dental and eye benefits
- Manages Employee Assistance Program
- Manages Wellness Program
- Responds to employment inquiries
- Oversees recruitment efforts
- Performs reference checks
- Manages hiring process and orientation
- Promotes employee recognition and incentives
- Develops policies and monitors compliance
- Handles disciplinary issues and grievances
- Provides training on a myriad of topics
- HR director is the privacy officer for the division
- HR assistant is the EEO coordinator for the Department of Commerce
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Cooperative Tourism
- Matching Advertising Partnership Program (MAPP)
- Responds to tourism industry inquiries received through e-mail, phone, etc., regarding MAPP, tourism and other funding programs.
- Assists MAPP applicants and tourism industry members with questions regarding rules, deadlines, etc.
- Assists applicants with preparation of their applications, revisions and modifications.
- Refers inquiring calls to appropriate sections of the Division of Tourism and to other state agencies.
- Assists tourism industry members in understanding how they can utilize MAPP for direct advertising projects.
- Contacts members of tourism industry to receive input on industry needs relative to the program.
- Prepares applications for review by the Tourism Commission on a quarterly basis.
- Attends MAPP Committee and Tourism Commission meetings to report and answer questions relative to the applications and program.
- Notifies applicants by e-mail, phone and letter regarding status of approval or denial of applications.
- Develops changes to legislative rules when necessary.
- Outreach
- Benchmarks with in-state tourism industry members and other states regarding updates and improvements to the MAPP process and prepares recommendations for the Tourism Commission.
- Designs and conducts educational workshops on MAPP for industry members and organizations interested in tourism.
- Represents the Division of Tourism and the Tourism Commission at tourism industry meetings and civic organization functions, including giving presentations.
- Supplies information to Commerce Communications regarding media inquiries/story ideas relative to MAPP.
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Customer Service
- Welcome Centers
- Promotes travel to and throughout the state.
- Assists visitors by answering questions, distributing literature, creating itineraries, making reservations at various hotels for lodging, golfing, rafting, dining, etc.
- Provides emergency assistance by calling the Courtesy Patrol, the State Police, tow trucks, local hospitals, fire departments and other emergency responders.
- Conducts Tourism presentations as requested by professional organizations or private groups.
- Gathers visitor profile information for compiling travel statistics.
- Provides media with tourism highlights or information on special events.
- Represents Tourism at regional meetings and events.
- Call Center
- Provides travel and tourism information via the 1-800-CALLWVA number, online live chats, label leads, e-mail and mail requests.
- Assists callers by answering questions, planning itineraries, making lodging reservations, or forwarding calls to state parks and other tourism entities.
- Gathers information for mailing printed material.
- Staffs Tourism booths during trade shows and events.
- Sends e-blasts (mass e-mails) from the Call Center database to tourism facilities.
- Conducts database presentations for potential clients, industry members and out-of-state visitors.
- Maintains tourism listings and customer profiles on the Web site and database.
- Handles overflow calls from the Treasurer’s Office of Unclaimed Property.
- Material Distribution Center
- Oversees the distribution of incoming and outgoing mail for the Division of Tourism, BRIM and the Prosecuting Attorneys Institute.
- Receives and fulfills phone, mail, e-mail or walk-in requests for tourism information from tourism facilities, the Legislature, the Governor’s Office, other state agencies, civic organizations and the general public.
- Receives brochures from tourism facilities and state agencies for redistribution.
- Handles bulk orders and loads trucks for monthly shipments to Welcome Centers.
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Marketing/Advertising Section
- Marketing/Advertising
- Works with advertising agency of record and Commerce Communications to develop four-season advertising campaigns to compete for state, national and international tourist travel.
- Develops promotional brochures and other publications, such as the annual Travel Guide.
- Creates print, broadcast, outdoor, online Web advertising campaigns and promotions.
- Creates and maintains a comprehensive database of all tourism-related destinations, attractions and events.
- Works to increase market share of tourism for West Virginia through expansion of existing program initiatives and strengthened regional promotion.
- Expands areas of visitation to West Virginia by creating awareness of new product as it is developed throughout the nine travel regions.
- Increases the visibility of West Virginia through use of traditional marketing, Internet resources, earned media and partnerships.
- Delivers a positive image of West Virginia through advertising, editorial and customer service.
- Collaborates with tourism related associations, including (but not limited to) CVBs, HTA, whitewater, ski, ATV, B&B, tourist train and trails to maximize financial investments and marketing initiatives, and encourages organization of new associations.
- Supports West Virginia’s travel regions and communities by offering educational support and marketing programs.
- Monitors and reacts to tourism trends based on solid research.
- Communicates relevant research intelligence to the tourism industry.
- Encourages and fosters collaborative efforts among federal, state and local agencies.
- Takes a responsible lead in the state’s role of promoting sustainable tourism initiatives and opportunities.
- Economic Impact
- A West Virginia Division of Tourism study released in 2009 shows that travel spending by visitors in the state was more than $4.38 billion in calendar year 2008, which is an increase of 7.3 percent from 2007. Visitors who stayed overnight in commercial lodging facilities spent $1.4 billion on their trips, while day travelers spent $2.1 billion. Visitor spending in West Virginia directly supported 44,000 jobs with earnings of $912 million in 2008.
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