Marketing and Tourism Strategy Internship

BUILD SOMETHING REAL ON A MOUNTAINTOP

This isn't your typical "make some Instagram posts and hope for the best" internship. This is a chance to help build the marketing foundation for a growing agritourism destination during a pivotal growth phase—and actually see your work translate into bookings, event launches, and real revenue.

If you want an internship where you get to own projects, see immediate impact, and walk away with portfolio pieces that actually matter—keep reading.

WHAT MAKES THIS DIFFERENT

Most marketing internships have you assisting with someone else's established systems. Here, you're helping create them from scratch.

Breath of Dawn is a 35-acre mountaintop homestead in Southwest Virginia offering cabin stays, primitive camping, seasonal experiences, and hands-on classes. We're entering an exciting expansion phase—more lodging capacity, more events, and a real focus on scaling what's working.

That means you won't just be learning tourism marketing theory. You'll be implementing strategies that directly affect bookings and revenue, building marketing systems that will outlast your internship, and working alongside someone who brings professional marketing consulting experience into every conversation.

Your work will be part of something people actually want to visit. Sweeping valley views, agritherapy experiences, foraged flower workshops, farm-to-table moments—you'll be marketing something genuinely special, not just another brand.

WHAT YOU'LL ACTUALLY DO

This is a paid, project-based internship where you'll have real ownership over meaningful work:

TOURISM MARKETING & STRATEGY

• Help develop and organize a cohesive marketing strategy tied to bookings and revenue

• Support seasonal campaign planning for lodging, events, and experiences

• Translate big-picture strategy into actionable plans you can actually execute

SOCIAL MEDIA & CONTENT EXECUTION

• Create and schedule engaging content across platforms (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok)

• Develop short-form content, campaign visuals, and promotional messaging

• Implement social media advertising concepts and track what's working

• Use AI-assisted tools to work smarter, not harder

GUEST EXPERIENCE & SYSTEMS BUILDING

• Help launch better guest communication systems and CRM automation

• Map the guest journey from discovery through post-stay engagement

• Identify opportunities for upsells, add-ons, and bundled experiences

• Build a marketing SOP library—repeatable systems that keep working after you leave

EVENT & EXPERIENCE PROMOTION

• Support planning and promotion of seasonal events and paid experiences

• Coordinate event messaging, timelines, and launches

• Align promotions with lodging availability and tourism cycles

You'll also work with digital tools, create light graphics, document workflows, and help build templates for future use. This is hands-on, real-world marketing work—not just brainstorming sessions.

WHAT YOU'LL WALK AWAY WITH
By the end of this internship, you'll have tangible proof of what you can do:

✓ 3-5 professional portfolio pieces (campaigns you designed, content you created, events you launched)

✓ Real-world experience with CRM systems, marketing automation, and AI tools most students don't touch until after graduation

✓ A complimentary stay in our A-frame cabin for content creation and experiential learning  (not part of compensation)

✓ Direct mentorship from someone with 20+ years of management experience and extensive background in destination marketing, tourism strategy, event coordination, and brand development

✓ Guaranteed professional reference and recommendation letter

✓ Systems-building experience (you'll create SOPs and frameworks, not just execute someone else's)

✓ The ability to say "I helped grow bookings by X%" or "I launched this event"—real results you can talk about in interviews

If you excel in this role, there's potential to extend into fall or be first in line for future opportunities.

WHO THRIVES HERE

We're looking for someone who:

• Is pursuing a degree in Tourism Management, Marketing, Hospitality, Communications, or a related field

• Has a genuine interest in destination marketing, agritourism, or experiential branding

• Actually wants to execute and implement, not just brainstorm ideas

• Is comfortable with digital tools (familiarity with AI-assisted content creation is a bonus)

• Can manage their own time and stay on top of project-based work

• Communicates clearly and professionally—asks good questions, articulates ideas, translates feedback into action

Here's the honest truth about this internship:

• You'll need reliable transportation for monthly or bi-monthly on-site meetings in Southwest Virginia

• This is hybrid (mostly remote with occasional on-site work), so you need to be self-directed

• You'll get both hands-on collaboration and freedom to run with ideas—sometimes in the same week

• The location is rural and the work is entrepreneurial—if you need constant structure or prefer established corporate systems, this might not be your fit

• But if you thrive with creative freedom, want to build something from the ground up, and love the idea of seeing your marketing work lead directly to real bookings and guest experiences? You'll love this.

THE DETAILS

Duration: 12 weeks (minimum 120 total hours)

Hours: 10 hours per week

Compensation: $15/hour  (W-2 employee position)

Schedule: Hybrid (remote with monthly or bi-monthly on-site meetings)

Start Date: March 16 2026

Location: Southwest Virginia (Russell County)

Breath of Dawn is a proud participant in the InternshipsVA program. #InVA

YOUR MENTOR

You'll work directly with the owner of Breath of Dawn, who brings over 20 years of management experience across multiple industries—including extensive work in destination marketing, tourism strategy, community engagement, event coordination, and brand development.

Beyond running the farm business, your mentor actively works with organizations and communities on marketing strategy, campaign development, and business growth. That means you're not just learning agritourism marketing—you're gaining exposure to professional-level marketing systems, strategic thinking, and implementation practices drawn from real client work.

Expect weekly or bi-weekly check-ins, clear priorities and timelines, thoughtful feedback, and genuine investment in your learning and professional growth.

READY TO BUILD SOMETHING REAL?

If this sounds like the kind of opportunity you've been looking for—where your work matters, your ideas get implemented, and you leave with proof of what you can do—we want to hear from you.

Apply through Handshake with your resume and a brief note about why this opportunity excites you.
Apply by March 5th, Interviews begin March 6. 

Let's build something great together.
Breath of Dawn

Educational Homestead | Lebanon, Virginia

breathofdawnva.com

Instagram/Facebook/TikTok: @breathofdawnva