Lou Hammond & Associates has defended Virginia's six-figure tourism PR account, following a review kicked off at the end of last year.
"It’s a wonderful state and we are proud of this long-standing relationship," said Lou Hammond, chairman of the New York-based firm.
The previous pact was worth $17K/month.
The Virginia Tourism Corporation released an RFP in late November for the national travel PR account, which includes PR planning, media training and outreach, and collateral development and writing, among other tasks.
Hammond picks up a new, year-long contract with three one-year options.
Weber Shandwick is providing PR and marketing communications services to the Moroccan National Tourist Office in New York.
Finn Partners has filed its six-month contract with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation, which is worth $240K.
Weber Shandwick wrapped up its work for the Ministry of Bahamas at the end of 2023.
The Aruba Tourism Authority is boosting its budget 29.4 percent to $2.2M at Zeno Group, according to its 2024 contract, effective Jan. 1.
As inflation continues to impact spending, consumers are revisiting their list of what they’re willing to spend more of their money on. Luckily for those in the travel industry, experiences seem to be trending up on the “splurge” list. 
Have a comment? Send it to 
No comments have been submitted for this story yet.