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Media Information from the Virginia Tourism Corporation

161 Local Tourism Programs Receive Funding to Aid Recovery, Spur Economic Activity

November 16, 2020

~ More than $1.9 million in matching grants awarded through Recovery Marketing Leverage Program ~

RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam today announced more than $1.9 million in matching grants will be awarded to 161 local tourism initiatives as part of Virginia Tourism Corporation’s (VTC) Recovery Marketing Leverage Program (RMLP). VTC revised its traditional Marketing Leverage Program to create the RMLP in an effort to support tourism initiatives in responding to and recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

RMLP is open to all Virginia tourism industry partners and will help local and regional tourism programs leverage limited local marketing dollars through a local in-kind match of the state grants funds. This funding cycle, local partners will provide more than $5.6 million in-kind value to match the VTC grants, and the RMLP will ultimately impact 483 statewide tourism entities.

“In Virginia, the travel and tourism industries are the backbone of our communities and our economy, and they have been among those hardest hit by the pandemic,” said Governor Northam. “This program will give localities and businesses access to much-needed marketing resources to sustain their operations and ensure the Commonwealth’s many attractions are safe for visitors. These are critical investments that will help to grow demand for Virginia products, drive local spending, and restore additional economic activity as we continue on our road to recovery.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effects on the tourism and hospitality industries in Virginia and across the country. While visitors spent $27 billion in the Commonwealth in 2019—a 3.4 percent increase over 2018—supporting 237,000 work opportunities and contributing $1.8 billion in state and local taxes, 2020 projects forecast a major decline in tourism revenues.

VTC offered these grant funds as a first step to re-entry into the marketplace to spur economic activity and future travel across the Commonwealth. The RMLP is designed to increase visitor spending by stimulating new tourism marketing through partnerships and extending the “Virginia is for Lovers” brand. Applicants joined with two other partners to apply for the VTC funds. Partners may consist of Virginia cities, towns, counties, convention and visitors’ bureaus, chambers of commerce, local or regional destination marketing organizations, private businesses, museums, attractions, cultural events, and other tourism-related businesses.

“The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has upended the tourism industry, which is one of Virginia’s largest sectors,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball. “RMLP will inject dollars in every region of the Commonwealth and help the development of new tourism product while getting communities back on their feet.”

For more information on VTC’s industry assistance programs, including the COVID-19 Industry Response Toolkit, visit vatc.org.

A full list of Marketing Leverage Program grant recipients can be found below.

Locality Lead Partner Name of Marketing Program Award Amount
Abingdon Abingdon Convention & Visitors Bureau Share What You Love in Abingdon $20,000.00
Abingdon Barter Theatre Wander to Abingdon and Drive-In to Barter Theatre $10,000.00
Abingdon Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail:  The Crooked Road Sustaining Excellence $5,000.00
Abingdon Virginia Highlands Festival Virginia Highlands Festival On The Move $10,000.00
Abingdon Hungry Brother BBQ Hungry Brother Regional Celebration Program $10,000.00
Abingdon William King Museum of Art William King Museum of Art $9,964.50
Accomac Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission Explore Rural Coastal Virginia’s Water Trails! $20,000.00
Alexandria Visit Alexandria Visit Alexandria $20,000.00
Alton Southern Virginia Motorsports Council Racing Through The Summer $10,000.00
Appomattox Appomattox for Equality Appomattox for Diversity $10,000.00
Arlington Appaloosa Festival Appaloosa Festival: Return to Your Roots $10,000.00
Arlington Arlington Convention and Visitors Service Arlington in Bloom: Springtime Renewal & Connection $10,000.00
Ashburn StageCoach Theatre Company LLC Winter 2020 and Spring 2021 Theatre Productions $7,125.00
Ashland Center of the Universe Brewing Co Welcome to Ashland! $9,550.00
Bedford Bedford Area Welcome Center/Destination Bedford Destination Bedford – Top Adventure Town $20,000.00
Bedford National D-Day Memorial Foundation National D-Day Memorial Foundation $10,000.00
Blackstone Downtown Blackstone, Inc. Discover Blackstone $10,000.00
Bland Bland County Tourism Bland County Tourism $10,000.00
Bluefield Visit Tazewell County Visit Tazewell County $10,000.00
Bristol Birthplace of Country Music Walk the Line  in the Birthplace of Country Music – 2021 Spring Marketing Campaign $20,000.00
Bristol The Sessions Hotel The Sessions Hotel $20,000.00
Bristol Discover Bristol Gone Livin’ $10,000.00
Cape Charles Cape Charles Main Street Discover Cape Charles $20,000.00
Charlottesville Tom Tom Foundation Tom Tom Festival presents Charlottesville Rising $20,000.00
Charlottesville IX Art Park Foundation Charlottesville Arts Immersion Excursion $20,000.00
Charlottesville Chapman and Wilburn LLC DBA Monticello Wine Tour & Coach Co Jefferson Heritage Experience $10,000.00
Charlottesville Thomas Jefferson Foundation (Monticello) Virginia Family Road Trip: Adventure Awaits $10,000.00
Charlottesville Virginia Festival of the Wheel Virginia Festival of the Wheel $10,000.00
Chesterfield Chesterfield County Parks and Recreation Rediscover Chesterfield’s History $10,000.00
Chincoteague Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce Chincoteague Visitor Guide $10,000.00
Clarksville Clarksville Lake Country Chamber of Commerce Drivin’ and Jivin’ Weekend Tours $10,000.00
Coeburn Spearhead Trails Southwest Regional Recreation Authority Battle of the First Wave $10,000.00
Colonial Beach Town of Colonial Beach VisitCBVA $10,000.00
Covington Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Uniquely Alleghany Adventures in the Heart of Virginia’s Mountain Region $10,000.00
Covington Virginia’s Western Highlands Fun Getaways Amid Beautiful Mountain Scenery $10,000.00
Crozet Montfair Resort Farm 2020 Montfair Marketing Program $8,269.50
Crozet Crozet Park Crozet Arts and Crafts Festivals $9,991.50
Culpeper Culpeper Tourism and Economic Development Culpeper Spring Destination Awareness Campaign $10,000.00
Daleville Botetourt County Botetourt County – Small Towns of Virginia $20,000.00
Danville Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History $10,000.00
Dinwiddie Dinwiddie County Tourism Discover Dinwiddie Day Trip $10,000.00
Dublin Pulaski County Tourism Pulaski County Tourism $10,000.00
Duffield Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Interpretive Center Foundation Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Interpretive Center $20,000.00
Emory Emory & Henry College Launching the SW Virginia Museum Experience – Creation of a SW VA Museum Trail $10,000.00
Exmore Town of Exmore The Shore’s Hometown: Diversity from Land to Sea $10,000.00
Farmville Prince Edward County Office of Tourism Play & Stay in Farmville $10,000.00
Farmville Farmville Area Chamber of Commerce Wander to Farmville $2,500.00
Floyd The Floyd Country Store Music of Our Mountains $20,000.00
Floyd The Buffalo Hemp Company Play Hard, Relax Easy in Floyd $6,500.00
Forest The Corporation for Jefferson’s Poplar Forest Jefferson’s Retreat, Your Retreat $10,000.00
Franklin Franklin Southampton Economic Development, Inc. What a Day! in Franklin Southampton $3,500.00
Fredericksburg Fredericksburg City Tourism FXBG Fun in 2021 $20,000.00
Fredericksburg Riverside Center for the Performing Arts Staycation Destination: Stafford $10,000.00
Gate City Scott County, Virginia Tourism More Than the “Tub”—Scott County, Virginia $20,000.00
Gate City Town of Gate City Kicking Back at King Alley – Free Summer Concert Series $20,000.00
Glen Allen Richmond Strikers Jefferson Cup Marketing Campaign $10,000.00
Glen Allen Artspace Artspace Marketing Program $8,972.50
Gloucester Gloucester Parks, Recreation & Tourism Visit Gloucester – For History, For Beauty, For Fun! $10,000.00
Grundy Southern Gap Outdoor Adventure Find Your Place in the Great Outdoors $20,000.00
Hanover Five-O’s Tiki Foundation, Inc. Hart Nissan Concert Series $10,000.00
Hanover Hanover Tavern Foundation Hanover Tavern Marketing $10,000.00
Harrisonburg City of Harrisonburg Tourism and Visitor Services Our PATH to the Perfect Event $20,000.00
Harrisonburg Black Bear Productions LLC Red Wing Roots Music Festival – Come for the festival, stay for a week! $10,000.00
Harrisonburg The Wishing Well Culinary Luxury in the Blue Ridge $10,000.00
Harrisonburg Community Mediation Center dba Harrisonburg International Festival Harrisonburg’s International Festival & Business Recovery Program $10,000.00
Harrisonburg The Virginia Quilt Museum VQM COVID-19 Recovery Plan $3,750.00
Hayes Virginia Campground Association The Virginia Campground Association 2021 Digital Directory Marketing Program $10,000.00
Hiltons Carter Family Fold Old Time Music, Inc. “Follow Me Back to the Fold” $20,000.00
Hopewell Hopewell Downtown Partnership “5 and Dime” Coalition and Road Trip $4,648.50
Hot Springs The Homestead LC (The Omni Homestead Resort) Virginia Road Trip $10,000.00
Independence Grayson County Tourism Grayson  County – Ultimate Outdoor Recreation! $20,000.00
Irvington Irvington Virginia Business Association Explore America’s Quintessential Coastal Village – Irvington, Virginia $9,750.00
Kenbridge Southern Virginia Food Hub Locally Grown, LOVEingly made $20,000.00
Kilmarnock Town of Kilmarnock (Visit Kilmarnock,VA) WanderLove: Your Road Trip to the River $20,000.00
Lawrenceville Brunswick County Brunswick Stew Tour $10,000.00
Lebanon Russell County Tourism Russell County Tourism $5,000.00
Leesburg Visit Loudoun Love Loudoun Like a Local $20,000.00
Lexington Lexington & The Rockbridge Area Tourism Small Towns Big Back Yards $10,000.00
Locust Dale Meander Inn LLC Only in Madison Experiences $10,000.00
Louisa Louisa County Chamber of Commerce Unplug & Play in Louisa $20,000.00
Lovingston Nelson County CVB Coolest Hike in Virginia $9,381.00
Luray Luray-Page County Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center Exploring the Great Outdoors in Luray & Page County $20,000.00
Luray Shenandoah Valley Travel, Inc. dba Shenandoah Valley Travel Association Make Time for LOVE in the Shenandoah Valley $10,000.00
Luray Shadow Mountain Escape Blue Ridge Mountain Escape to Romance & Adventure $10,000.00
Luray Page County Sunday Drive $10,000.00
Lynchburg Craddock Terry Hotel For the Love of Views, Brews, Corkscrews and Shoes! $10,000.00
Machipongo Chatham Vineyards, LLC Eastern Shore Wine & Brine To Go! $10,000.00
Machipongo Lambert Shellfish LLC Oyster Farm Tour and Interactive Experience $10,000.00
Madison Early Mountain WanderWine $20,000.00
Manassas Prince William County Office of Tourism Prince William’s Open Spaces and Friendly Faces $10,000.00
Marion Marion, VA Visit Marion, VA $20,000.00
Martinsville Rooster Walk Inc Pop’s is the Place $5,375.00
Martinsville VisitMartinsville Enhanced VisitMartinsville Website $10,000.00
Mason Neck The Board of Regents of Gunston Hall, Inc. “Winter Wanderlust: Hidden Gems within 45 Minutes” $20,000.00
Moneta Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber Visit Smith Mountain Lake $20,000.00
Montpelier Station Montpelier Steeplechase and Equestrian Foundation Montpelier Hunt Races Festival $20,000.00
New Castle Wilderness Adventure at Eagle Landing Your Basecamp for Adventure $6,400.00
Newport News Virginia Living Museum Dinosaurs and the Great Outdoors $10,000.00
Norfolk Virginia Arts Festival Virginia International Tattoo $20,000.00
Norfolk Virginia Zoo Explore in Your Back Yard $10,000.00
Norfolk Visit Norfolk The City with Bite featuring Nomarama $10,000.00
Norfolk Norfolk Festevents, Ltd. Norfolk Festevents 2021 Season of Events $10,000.00
North Garden Virginia Association of Cider Makers Virginia Cider for All Occasions $10,000.00
Onancock Onancock Main Street Initiative (OMSI) Experience Onancock $20,000.00
Pearisburg Inn At Riverbend Inn At Riverbend $10,000.00
Pennington Gap Town of Pennington Gap Town of Pennington Gap $10,000.00
Petersburg City of Petersburg Department of Tourism Discover the Underdiscovered Petersburg $10,000.00
Portsmouth City of Portsmouth Department of Parks Recreation and Tourism 48-Hour Small Town Getaways $10,000.00
Radford Radford Visitor’s Center Visit NRV-Virginia’s New River Valley $20,000.00
Reston Reston Historic Trust & Museum Reston Historic Trust & Museum $10,000.00
Richmond Richmond Sports Backers 2021 Richmond Marathon $10,000.00
Richmond Richmond Performing Arts Alliance #ArtsHuntRVA $10,000.00
Richmond Buskey Cider Drink Scott’s Addition $10,000.00
Richmond Preservation Virginia 100 Miles of History $8,950.00
Roanoke Roanoke Outside Outdoors is in Our DNA $20,000.00
Roanoke Blue Ridge Parkway Association Wander Love Rides $20,000.00
Roanoke Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge Metro Mountain Mini-Vacations in Virginia’s Blue Ridge $20,000.00
Roanoke Milestone Development New River Valley Sports $10,000.00
Roanoke Downshift LLC Ride the Rockstar! $9,000.00
Roanoke Apple Ridge Farm Experience Apple Ridge $9,867.68
Rocky Mount Town of Rocky Mount Reimagine Rocky Mount $10,000.00
Roseland Bryant’s Cider Bryant’s Cider $5,000.00
Ruther Glen County of Caroline Department of Economic Development & Tourism 301/207 Corridor 301 Things to Experience! $10,000.00
Saint Paul Heart of Appalachia Tourism Authority Heart of Appalachia Tourism Authority $10,000.00
Salem City of Salem Tourism Office Sports is the Hub for Salem Tourism $10,000.00
Saluda Middlesex County Spring Road Trip to VA River Realm (featuring the 4 Middlesex Small Towns) $10,000.00
Saluda Middle Peninsula Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authority Shucking Awesome! Paddle & Pub Crawl $10,000.00
Smithfield Smithfield & Isle of Wight Convention and Visitors Bureau Family Field Trips to Smithfield and Isle of Wight County $5,000.00
South Boston Halifax County Tourism What Makes Your Heart Race Girlfriends Getaway $20,000.00
South Hill South Hill Chamber of Commerce Discover the Unexpected $10,000.00
St. Paul Western Front Hotel Small Town = Big Fun – Live It, Love It, Ride It! $10,000.00
St. Paul Town of St. Paul Come Discover Your Fountain of Youth in Virginia’s Great Southwest $20,000.00
Staunton City of Staunton Less Screen Time, More Play Time – Family Road Trip to Staunton $10,000.00
Stuart Patrick County Tourism Trail Marketing  & LoveWorks $10,000.00
Stuart Patrick County Chamber of Commerce Experience Patrick County: Map your own way $8,500.00
Surry Surry County, Virginia A Road Trip to Remember in Surry County, VA $20,000.00
Swoope Shenandoah Mountain Music Makers Assoc. Inc. d/b/a Shenandoah Music Trail Virginia is for Lovers of Mountain Music $10,000.00
Thornburg Dominion Raceway & Entertainment Dominion Raceway & Entertainment $10,000.00
Troutdale Blue Ridge Discovery Center BRDC Grand Opening $8,545.00
Verona Augusta County, VA Beerwerks: Blaze Your Own Trail! $10,000.00
Vienna Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts SOUNDWALK at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts $10,000.00
Virginia Beach Virginia Beach Art Center, Inc. Getaway to the heART of Virginia Beach $20,000.00
Virginia Beach ViBe Creative District WanderLove: ViBe Creative District $20,000.00
Virginia Beach Military Aviation Museum Warbird Weekends $10,000.00
Virginia Beach Zeiders American Dream Theater Zeiders American Dream Theater $10,000.00
Warm Springs Bath County Bath County WanderLove – Food & Hidden Gems $10,000.00
Warsaw Northern Neck Planning District Commission Northern Neck: Off the Beaten Path $20,000.00
Warsaw The Menokin Foundation Disconnect at Menokin and the Northern Neck $10,000.00
Waynesboro Waynesboro Economic Development and Tourism Work up an Appetite in Waynesboro $20,000.00
Waynesboro The Wayne Theatre Alliance REACH – Rediscovering Excitement for Arts, Culture, and History in the Shenandoah Valley $10,000.00
Williamsburg Colonial Williamsburg Travel through History: A Virginia Road Trip $20,000.00
Winchester Encore Event Partners, LLC/ VA Kids Trail Reconnect and Recharge on a VA Kids Trail Family Vacation! $10,000.00
Woodstock Shenandoah County Tourism and Economic Development Wander and Find Your Way Back to Open Spaces $10,000.00
Woodstock Shenandoah Valley Music Festival SVMF – Your Concert Vacation Destination! $10,000.00
Woodstock Shenandoah County Fair Association Shenandoah County Fair $10,000.00
Woodstock Muse Vineyards LLC Our Bend in the River $10,000.00
Wytheville Wytheville Convention & Visitors Bureau Social Distancing, Naturally $20,000.00
Wytheville Edith Bolling Wilson Museum Museum Marketing & Promotion $1,750.00
Wytheville Blue Ridge Travel Association Rediscovering the Blue Ridge $8,250.00
Yorktown County of York York County Tourism Development – Visit Yorktown $20,000.00
Yorktown York County Office of Economic Development Dining on The Edge $8,350.00

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