What We Do

Mission Statement: The Vermont Hospitality Council is the tourism division of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. Comprising 900 businesses statewide, the VHC's four focus areas are marketing, advocacy, education, and networking & leadership. The VHC also manages the Vermont Attractions Association, and is the state partner of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, and the National Restaurant Association.

Marketing, Advertising and Publications

Each year the Vermont Hospitality Council (VHC) publishes Vermont's official tourism and travel fulfillment publications, the Vermont Vacation Guide (Summer/Fall) and the Vermont Winter Vacation Guide. Both guidebooks are a partner project of the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. The staff of the Vermont Hospitality Council develops the guidebook, which is divided into three different sections: editorial, listings and display advertisements, and resources. The guidebooks are sent to individuals from across the country and internationally, whose inquiries originate from the aggressively marketed Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing website (www.VermontVacation.com), Vermont's toll free visitor info number (1-800-VERMONT), and the Vermont Chamber's websites (www.VisitVT.com and www.vtchamber.com).

Education and Training

Through our partnership with the National Restaurant Association and its Educational Foundation, the VHC presents monthly ServSafe trainings and exams. Recommended in Vermont, ServSafe is a day-long class to train and certify restaurant/foodservice employees on the basics of food safety. The ServSafe Certificate is valid for five years. Foodservice organizations recommended for ServSafe Certification include restaurants, convenience stores/delis, bars that serve food, nursing homes, hospitals, disaster relief agencies, technical centers, and schools. VHC members save $50 off the registration fee. Members also receive 10% off ServSafe and Prostart books and materials ordered through the VHC. The VHC also partners with the New England Culinary Institute to present the Vermont Hospitality Institute (VHI).

Awards

Occurring every September, the Vermont Hospitality Gala presents a chance for those in the hospitality industry to celebrate together, and toast the excellence of their peers.

• Borden Avery Innkeeper of the Year Award:
• B & B Innkeeper of the Year Award:
• Restaurateur of the Year:
• Chef of the Year:
• Allied Member of the Year:

Networking and Leadership

The Vermont Hospitality Council hosts two major industry networking and leadership events: the Taste of Vermont Legislative Reception (spring), and the Vermont Hospitality Gala (September). The Taste of Vermont Legislative Reception, featuring nearly two dozen Vermont restaurants, takes place every spring in Montpelier, Vermont's capital city. The annual Taste is a networking event, created to showcase Vermont Hospitality Council members who represent Vermont's finest culinary destinations, while facilitating discussion between legislators and Vermont employers. Registration is free of charge for members of the Vermont Chamber/Vermont Hospitality Council.

VisitVT

A website just for visitors, www.VisitVt.com

Green Hotels Program:

Green Hotels Program VHC Seals Partnership to Promote Green Tourism: Our State, Our Planet, Our Business Every day it is getting easier to go green, and being environmentally responsible is now picking up steam. In our households, workplaces, communities, nationwide, and globally- "green" is the place to be. Through the Green Hotels in the Green Mountain State program, Vermont's lodging properties are recognized for their use of sound environmental management practices to reduce their impacts on the environment, save in operational expenses, and satisfy customer demand for environmentally conscious lodging establishments. Nearly a decade ago the Vermont Small Business Development Center and the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation launched their joint Green Hotels initiative. Over a decade later, this program's vision has delivered a "green" designation program that is among the very best in this country. The Green Hotels program provides assistance to owners and managers of lodging properties who take environmental stewardship seriously. To receive the Green Hotels designation, a property participates in a free on-site environmental opportunities assessment. Property designation reflects a commitment to pollution prevention and exemplary environmental stewardship. Each property seeking to achieve designation as a Green Hotel also creates an environmental management plan.