West Virginia Seeking to Establish Accreditation for its CVBs

Official state accreditation of convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) is called for in legislation recently introduced in the West Virginia House of Delegates. House Bill 2438 wouldsubmit an application for accreditation—it will be
for a three-year period—by Dec. 31, 2009. A state accrediting board must notify the CVB of its decision by May 31, 2010.

The legislation would prohibit any unaccredited organization to receive funds from the local hotel/motel tax. Currently before the House’s Finance Committee, the bill further defines how public tax dollars may be spent promoting tourism and other activities. The principal provisions of House Bill 2438 include the following:

A West Virginia Convention and Visitors Bureau Accreditation Board is established…

• Fifty percent of the hotel/motel tax collected from overnight stays must be allocated to the local CVB. In the event there are two or more such agencies operating within a county, the county commission can fund each at its own discretion.