The film project was created and produced by the Loudoun Convention and Visitors Association, called Visit Loudoun for short, with the goal of capturing the attention of potential visitors from the Washington region and beyond by highlighting the wide range of places and experiences available to tourists, Visit Loudoun officials said.
The organization hopes the series will help boost Loudoun’s tourism industry as it recovers from a slight slowdown in the past few years of economic turmoil, said Patrick Kaler, president and chief executive of Visit Loudoun.
“It’s coming back, and we’re hopeful that things will continue to grow,” Kaler said. “We still get about 2 million visitors each year. That’s pretty good for a destination of our size.”
After Visit Loudoun won an Emmy Award in 2009 for a series of 50 episodes promoting Loudoun tourism, the organization was eager to “come up with the next great way to get our message out,” Kaler said.
“We wanted to accomplish this in an entertaining way, so people won’t necessarily know that they’re watching a marketing video,” he said.
Visit Loudoun decided to create a video series in the spirit of the CBS reality show “The Amazing Race” in which a small group people would participate in challenges and activities across the county. A casting call went out nationwide, and five young professionals — four participants and a host — were selected. None had ever set foot in Loudoun.
Andrew McDonald, a freelance videographer from Texas, said that he had been to Washington but that he was surprised to find sprawling rural landscapes just 25 miles outside the city.
“It was beautiful,” he said. “One of the days, when we were shooting the intro, we just got to hike along the Appalachian Trail, and it was just breathtaking.”
McDonald, a wine enthusiast, said he also enjoyed a winemaking challenge at Sunset Hills Vineyard in Purcellville — also a favorite activity of fellow cast member Haley Phillips.
Phillips, an actor and graduate student who lives in New York, said she worked at a winery when she lived in Austin and was excited to have the opportunity to visit Virginia wine country.
“People who came to our winery would always talk about Virginia wines,” she said. “I thought I knew something about wine, but then we actually talked to the wine experts!”
Beyond blending and packaging wines, the cast’s other activities included a paintball competition, whitewater rafting, exploring Civil War history and making pottery with Washington Redskins player Chris Cooley.
“It wasn’t just about what we were doing; it was about who we were doing it with,” Phillips said. “The community was so vibrant, and there were so many great characters who were so knowledgable and willing to make sure you were having a great experience.”
The premiere at 7 p.m. next Thursday is free and open to the public. Visit Loudoun requests that attendees make a donation to support a scholarship program for high school students planning to enter the hospitality or tourism field, Kaler said.
After the official online launch Sept. 27, new episodes of “Get Lost in Loudoun” will be posted at www.getlostinloudoun.com
every Tuesday through Nov. 20.
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