WINCHESTER, Va. (WDVM) — The Winchester-Frederick County Convention and Visitors Bureau is focusing on local residents, as a reminder that tourism means more than just attracting out of town guests.

”We have so much information on the community here. So that’s great for locals who live here and also for people who are considering visiting. There’s always something you can learn about your backyard,” said Winchester-Frederick County Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director Justin Kerns.

For the first time, the bureau is partnering with local organizations including Handley Library and the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum, to host an event for newcomers to the area.

“This is just a response to simply listening to our community. We have heard for a couple of years now that something like this was needed,” said Kerns.

The bureau says they’ve seen a steady growth of residents across the city and the county within the last four years.

“We’ve seen increase in our program attendance, we’ve increased the number of programs that we’re doing and we’re just so excited that there’s so many people finding us and finding Winchester,” said Handley Regional Library System community outreach coordinator Mary Anton.

As the growth continues, what is really attracting people to the area?

“We’ve got that best of both worlds things going on. Great jobs here, great education here. So that’s what we hear all the time,” said Kerns.

The convention and visitors bureau plans to hold newcomer events on a quarterly basis, with their first one at the visitors center on July 11. Click here for more details.