Much like a traditional Enterprise Zone, a Tourism Zone allows for businesses to take advantage of local tax incentives and deductions not available to businesses elsewhere. Any city, county, or town may establish, by ordinance, one or more 旅游区域.
- The 维吉尼亚州 General Assembly passed 立法 in 2006 authorizing 维吉尼亚州 localities to create 旅游区域 and offer tax incentives and provide certain regulatory flexibility within a Tourism Zone.
- 旅游区域 are passed by local ordinance and may contain both requirements and benefits for existing and new or expanded tourism businesses, 包括住宿, 餐厅, 零售, meeting and sports facilities, outdoor recreation areas, theme parks and event venues.
- Local incentives may be offered to stimulate business attraction, 增长, and increased employment opportunities within certain areas of a locality. This can include, but is not limited: hiring credits, sales & 利用税收优惠, expense and interest deductions, discounted utilities hook-up and payment plans, sewer facility hookup payment plans and reduced parking requirements.
- 目前, there are approximately 75 旅游区域, 全州, across 维吉尼亚州 in 47 different localities.
Statewide Tourism Zone map: 旅游区地图(8.5 x 11) * click map for larger view
Based on a Tourism Zone Survey completed in 2018, the following are prominent trends found within local 旅游区域.
- 60% of 旅游区域 have established capital investment and job creation requirements for a business to be eligible for Tourism Zone incentives.
- 53% of 旅游区域 offer Business, 专业, and Occupational License (BPOL) tax incentives for qualifying businesses.
- 43% of 旅游区域 offer fee reductions, 豁免, or rebates as an incentive to qualifying businesses.
- 20% of 旅游区域 offer targeted industry status or an expedited review process as an incentive to qualifying businesses.
For a full list of incentives offered through 旅游区域 in 维吉尼亚州, please visit the 旅游区域 Incentives Matrix.