RICHMOND – Governor Terry McAuliffe announced today that more than $812,000 in matching grant funds will be awarded to 39 local tourism initiatives as part of Virginia Tourism Corporation’s (VTC) Marketing Leverage Program. The grants are designed to help local and regional tourism entities attract more visitors by leveraging local marketing dollars and will ultimately impact at least 153 other statewide tourism entities. The local organizations match the state grant funds by a minimum of 2:1 in order to support marketing projects. This funding cycle, the local partners will match the VTC grant dollars with more than $2.6 million, providing more than $3.4 million total in new marketing to increase visitation to Virginia.
Speaking about today’s announcement at an event in Richmond, Governor McAuliffe said, “Tourism is an industry that provides enormous opportunity to grow, diversify and build a new Virginia economy. The Marketing Leverage Grant program is designed to spur job creation, economic development, and visitor spending through new or enhanced tourism products. These grants are proven to increase visitation by creating marketing partnerships and effective marketing programs.”
Research shows that every VTC dollar invested in grants resulted in $16 of direct visitor spending. Marketing campaigns that received Marketing Leverage Grants increased visitation by 15%.
Tourism is an instant revenue generator for Virginia. In 2014, tourism generated $22.4 billion in revenue, supported 217,000 jobs and provided $1.5 billion in state and local taxes. Dollars invested in tourism are proven to provide a 5:1 return in tax revenue for Virginia, and the grant awards and matching funds provide a stimulus to localities seeking to increase tourism visitation and revenue.
VTC’s Marketing Leverage Program is designed to increase visitor spending by leveraging limited marketing dollars, stimulating new tourism marketing through partnerships, and extending the “Virginia is for Lovers” brand. A minimum of three Virginia entities must partner financially to apply for a grant. Partners may consist of Virginia cities, towns, counties, convention and visitors bureaus, chambers of commerce, other local or regional destination marketing organizations, private businesses, museums, attractions, cultural events, and other not-for-profit entities. In total, VTC awards approximately $1.7 million annually – matched and leveraged on average 3:1 by partner dollars.
“The Marketing Leverage Program grants support tourism product development and marketing in every part of the Commonwealth and contribute to the economic health of our communities,” said Maurice Jones, Secretary of Commerce and Trade. “These public-private partnerships will help attract visitors to Virginia who will spend money in our cities and towns to support job growth.”
Details on the grant awards are below. The next round of VTC Marketing Leverage Program grants will open in April 2016. Localities interested in applying may visit www.vatc.org for more information.
Program Name | Lead Partner | Award Amount |
Smith Mountain Lake 50th Anniversary | Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce | $18,680.00 |
Holiday Lights at the Beach and Santa’s Seaside Village | Beachevents | $10,000.00 |
Richmond Ballet “The Nutcracker: in Norfolk and Richmond, VA | Richmond Ballet | $25,000.00 |
Kids Trail in Shenandoah Valley | Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum | $25,000.00 |
Highland Retreat/Conference Center: Be in Highland | The Highland Center | $10,000.00 |
Gateway to Centennial Celebrations at Shenandoah National Park | Luray-Page County Chamber of Commerce | $25,000.00 |
Alleghany Highlands Heritage Day | Masonic Theatre Preservation Foundation | $6,750.00 |
Barrels, Brews & Byways | Shenandoah County | $5,376.50 |
Virginia Cheese Festival Marketing Expansion | The Blacksburg Partnership | $1,631.50 |
Winter Blues Jazz Fest | Quirks of Art | $5,000.00 |
Upper James River Water Trail | James River Association | $35,750.00 |
Heritage Harvest Festival at Monticello | Thomas Jefferson Foundation Inc | $50.000.00 |
Turn the Page: The First Ten Years of Hi-Fructose | Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art | $50,000.00 |
Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival | Rooster Walk Inc | $10,000.00 |
History, Served with Art and Oysters | Northern Neck Tourism Commission | $10,000.00 |
Thomas Jefferson Craft Beer Tasting | Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest | $2,969.00 |
Visit Culpeper Website Design and Build | Town of Culpeper Tourism and Economic Development | $50,000.00 |
Historic Smithfield Plantation Marketing Expansion | Historic Smithfield Plantation | $4,400.00 |
Uniquely Bristol Marketing Initiative | Bristol Convention & Visitors Bureau | $50,000.00 |
Tom Tom Founders Festival | Tom Tom Founders Festival | $25,000.00 |
Spring Forward to Virginia’s Blue Ridge | Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau | $25,000.00 |
Rockingham County – Strategic Marketing Program | Rockingham County | $25,000.00 |
Experience Galax: a Place for Art, Music, Craft and Tradition | Chestnut Creek School of the Arts | $4,991.50 |
Spotsylvania County Promotional Videos | Spotsylvania County | $5,000.00 |
89th Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival | Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival | $25,000.00 |
Olde Towne Portsmouth Brand Identity, Blog, and Promotion | Olde Towne Business Association | $5,000.00 |
Paint the Town | Virginia Highlands Festival | $9,424.50 |
LATAM Air Service to Washington Dulles International Airport | Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority | $50,000.00 |
NVVC 2016 Canada Program | Visit Alexandria | $9,375.00 |
Public Relations and Native Advertising Campaign | Abingdon Convention and Visitors Bureau | $25,000.00 |
Get Your Motor Running | Heart of Appalachia | $49,374.00 |
2016 Visit Richmond International Raceway | Richmond International Raceway | $12,500.00 |
Birthplace of Country Music – Unbroken Circle Marketing Initiative | Birthplace of Country Music | $50,000.00 |
Mountains of Music Homecoming – New Audiences | The Crooked Road | $25,000.00 |
Destination Dayton | The Dayton Market | $5,000.00 |
Virginia Arts Festival’s 20th Season Celebration | Virginia Arts Festival | $50,000.00 |
Rassawek Spring Jubilee 2016 | Rassawek Vineyards | $2,500.00 |
Wilderness Road Group Tour Program | Wilderness Road | $5,000.00 |
Visit Shenandoah | Shenandoah Valley Travel Association | $9,200.00 |