Stopping by “Where America’s Journey Begins”
For 250th commemoration, Visit Williamsburg highlights region's unique place in history
This summer is the 250th anniversary of American independence, an occasion that’s seen as a significant opportunity to boost tourism in the region. In order to capitalize, local tourism officials are running a wide variety of promotional efforts meant to attract visitors to the Historic Triangle (a designation describing the Greater Williamsburg area, Yorktown and the Jamestown settlement).
A large component of the region’s promotional activity is managed by the Williamsburg Tourism Council, which is a State-chartered public/private partnership made up of representatives from local governments and tourism stakeholders. The organization’s $18.6 million budget for Fiscal Year 2026 reflects a significant regional investment in tourism. Over 80% of those funds come from a region specific sales tax, with the rest mostly coming from an additional hotel room tax.
The Tourism Council manages promotional efforts under the banner Visit Williamsburg, which launched a campaign last year called “Where America’s Journey Begins.” According to Visit Williamsburg President and CEO Ed Harris, the marketing slogan has been used since then to promote the Historic Triangle through channels like TV, billboards, print and online. These efforts have also been supplemented through associations with renowned documentary-maker Ken Burns and popular travel host Samantha Brown.
“The groundwork for building visitation in 2026 began last summer when we introduced our new advertising platform, ‘Where America’s Journey Begins.’” Harris wrote in an email. “Running advertising alongside national shows like the Ken Burns ‘American Revolution’ documentary series in Q4 of last year and running advertising alongside the Samantha Brown ‘Places to Love’ show focused on the Historic Triangle attractions in Q1 of this year will add awareness to our streaming TV, Digital, and ongoing social media marketing campaign.”
The greater-Williamsburg area recently appeared on the Today show, touted as a “Top Travel Destination for 2026” by Travel + Leisure.
Harris noted that tourism in the Historic Triangle grew by more than 4% in FY2025. Thus far in FY2026, performance has exceeded expectations, with the hotel transient tax collections about 1% ahead of both last year and the current plan. He’s optimistic that the 250th commemoration could result in 2% to 4% growth in tourism versus the previous year.
Unique promotional activities created by Visit Williamsburg include America’s Birthday Quilt project, which is engaging participants nationwide. They are invited to create their own 12-by-12-inch quilt squares to be assembled into a 250-foot quilt unveiled this spring in Williamsburg. Harris notes that nearly 800 squares have been submitted from Virginia and across the country. He expects upcoming events in Tysons Corner and Philadelphia to build momentum for the project and inspire visits later this year.
Other efforts include a partnership with Amtrak Virginia on a discounted travel passes, as well as three new experiential events—Revolutionary Rhythms (April), Flame of Revolution (May), and Sail 250 (June). Harris pointed out that the 250th anniversary has also helped to draw several major conferences, including the 2026 Historic Hotels of America annual meeting.
The free Virginia 250 Passport highlights 70 historic sites across the State, including Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown, and offers discounts and prizes.
The writer used AI tools and these sources:
Visit Williamsburg Strategy Update December 2025
Williamsburg Tourism Council Annual Meeting Agenda - November 18, 2025
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