Greetings Patrick,
Director of Economic Development and Tourism
Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe we are almost halfway through January, and I am delighted that we got some snow. It’s wonderful to see the mountains, hills, and valleys covered. I’m excited about the friends visiting and the family members coming in from out of town!
We are looking forward to a fantastic year for tourism in 2025, and we are currently in the planning stages for events, festivals, and activities.
I want to let you know that the chamber is now accepting ad reservations for the 2025 Spring Edition of Patrick County Magazine. This is a great opportunity to promote your business and showcase what makes our community special. The magazine has been a tremendous success in promoting our area and has been distributed nationwide. I have personally handed out several copies to global travelers who enjoyed them and took them back to their homes.
Here are some visitor statistics from our Visitor Center in 2024: over the 3 ½ years we’ve been collecting data, 2024 recorded the second-highest number of visitors at 2,411, just below the 2,512 visitors in 2023. We welcomed guests from 27 states and five countries. Our magazine made its way back to Australia, Canada, England, Germany, and Scotland. This is outstanding, and we hope to see even more visitors this year. To learn more about advertising, please contact Rebecca, director of the chamber, by visiting the Chamber’s website; you can also find a link on our site.
I will share more statistics about our tourism efforts in the coming weeks. If you are a proud member of this community and haven’t stopped by to see us yet, please do so in 2025! We are located on Main Street in Stuart and serve the entire county. Let’s thrive together in 2025 by greeting one another, engaging in fellowship, entertaining, and sharing our wonderful home with the world. “Come get lost and find yourself here!”
James Houchins,
Director of Economic Development and Tourism
