Advertising Effectiveness & ROI Reports

Visit Williamsburg’s advertising campaigns achieved sustainable, quantitative results. The destination marketing organization's comprehensive reports illustrate the return on investment for every dollar spent on media.

2024:

• Overall, the 2024 advertising efforts performed well, generating 59% awareness and a total of 360,000 influenced trips. The paid media influenced $457 million in visitor spending with a $10.5 million media buy, resulting in a $44 ROI for each media dollar invested. Though there was slightly reduced investment compared to last year, there were more influenced trips, along with more visitor spending and a higher ROI.

• The growth in awareness of the Spring/Summer campaign was predominantly a function of wear-in over time. It is reasonable to expect new creative efforts in the coming year to have less robust results until campaign awareness builds.

• The weaker performance of Fall and Winter reflect a more limited media buy. However, this helped increase ROI despite fewer influenced trips.

• The more proximate markets continue to perform well. With that said, it is important to recognize more distant markets generally stay longer and spend more.

• Performance and strategies need to be reviewed in light of prevailing travel behaviors. Overall, 2024 travel patterns largely returned to pre-pandemic levels. However, it is anticipated that travel spending will slow with potential economic and political headwinds.

• Read the full summary here.

2023:

• The 2023 advertising campaign ran from January to October 2023 and influenced travel to the Williamsburg area from all target markets. With an average trip spend of $1,224, the campaign influenced $657 million in visitor spending. This results in a return of $56 for each $1 invested in the media buy

• 82% of trips were planned within three months or less of visiting. These trips were motivated by a variety of attractions and activities. Busch Gardens was the top motivator, followed by Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown Settlement, and Historic Jamestowne. Many of the top motivators are in James City County, and half of overnight visitors report staying in lodging within the county. A quarter stayed in Williamsburg proper

• Trips to Williamsburg declined over the course of the study period (October 2022 to November 2023), with the height of visitation to the area in April (14%). This is not likely due to the trip experience, as 95% of visitors are very satisfied with their visit to the area. Read the full summary here.

  • Read the full summary here

2022

• The fall and holiday advertising influenced about 54,000 Williamsburg trips and about $75 million in visitor spending during November and December; the return on the fall and holiday ads was $86 in visitor spending for each $1 invested in the media

  • Read the full summary here

• Visit Williamsburg’s advertising (January – October 2022) ultimately influenced approximately 432,000 trips to the region, resulting in $832 million in visitor spending, and a return of $73 in visitor spending for each $1 invested in the media buy

  • Read the full summary here

• Additional media investment from May to June led ad awareness to grow from 51% to 52%, equating to about 300,000 additional ad-aware households

  • Read the full summary here

• From Jan. through April 2022, advertising generated 51% awareness, reaching 8.6 million target households

  • Read the full summary here

2021

• The fall-themed, holiday-themed, and other advertising that ran during the 2021 fall and holiday seasons each reached about a third of target households; combined, 45% of target households recall seeing any of this advertising

  • Read the full summary here

2020

• The 2020 “Life. At your pace.” advertising campaign included linear TV/CTV, digital banner, social, and influencer content advertising; the digital banner and social ads included summer, fall, and holiday executions 

  • Read the full summary here

2019

• Visit Williamsburg influenced more than 350,000 trips to the destination in 2019 with its paid promotions; this resulted in more than $400 million in influenced visitor spending, or $86 for every $1 spent on marketing

  • Read the full summary here