Making Richmond the American Destination of the 21st Century

Destination Richmond via Fraser Design on Flickr

When you think about it, there are few cities in this country who have played a substantial role in virtually every American moment – colonization and revolution; slavery and civil war and emancipation; industrialization and suburbanization. Richmond’s been in the mix, every time.

When you combine that deep, rich historical foundation with the churning natural backdrop of the James River, you have the main ingredients for a quintessential American destination. Add strong dashes of outdoor recreation, more than 1,000 restaurants, a powerful and eclectic arts community and easy access to the wider world by road, rail and air.

What you have is the recipe for the American destination of the 21st century.

That’s what the tourism vision plan we delivered to the Richmond Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau (RMCVB) said.

Working with Peter Fraser – a design and brand strategist and frequent Floricane collaborator – we interviewed more than 150 key tourism stakeholders, dug into tourism best practices from other cities, and applied our own knowledge of Richmond and the surrounding region. Our final document provided RMCVB with a high-level roadmap – it is a visionplan, after all – toward a dramatic North Star for the region.

Changing the way our region considers its place in America’s future is as important as the work that remains in coming to terms with some of the darker chapters of our past. We’re excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for #RVA.

photo: ©Fraser Design on Flickr