Visitors Center certified by state

Staff

Published Friday, April 25, 2003

allison.williams@suffolknewsherald.com

The Suffolk Visitors Center is official.

The Virginia Tourism Corp. recently puts its seal of approval on the visitors center, making Suffolk the Old Dominion's 47th state-certified center.

The city's tourism program stands to gain a wealth of free marketing through the certification, said Lynette Brugeman, the city's tourism director. This includes:

?Getting prominent display in the state's "Virginia is for Lovers Guidebook," an annual VTC marketing publication sent to more than 600,000 people and businesses nationwide.

?The distribution of city brochures to the 10 state-owned welcome centers, which are located off Interstate highways throughout Virginia. Other state-certified visitor's centers will also display Suffolk's promotional materials.

?Having the Virginia Department of Transportation install signs on major highways leading into the city that direct travelers to the Suffolk Visitors Center.

Although the Suffolk Visitors Center had to meet several guidelines to get certified, the most difficult was finding enough volunteer manpower to ensure that the facility could remain open seven days a week, Brugeman said.

The state-certification program is designed to establish uniform operating standards for visitors centers across Virginia, said Martha Steger, director of public relations for the VTC.

"Getting certified is a benefit for the state and locality," she said. "It helps the locality attract more visitors and it helps us to sell the state as a package.

"...That center is tremendous," said Steger, who visited the Prentis House shortly after its opening in January. "It pays such a tribute to the heritage of Suffolk by being in a historical building.

"...And it's laid out well, with the brochures and gift shop being on the lower level and the meeting space being on the upper floor," she said. "The community must really enjoy having access to that space."

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