Tourism Marketing Grants to Benefit Southwest Virginia

Tourism Marketing Grants to Benefit Southwest Virginia

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling was in Abingdon yesterday to hand out grant funds for five tourism-based groups in Southwest Virginia.

The grants from the Virginia Tourism Corporation are designed to assist local and regional tourism entities to leverage local marketing dollars.

Grant recipients include the Abingdon Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail, Friends of Southwest Virginia, Round the Mountain Artisan Network and the Depot Arts Association.

Bolling presented the grant awards yesterday morning at the new Heartwood Center in Abingdon.

“Our administration sees tourism as an important part of economic development,” said Bolling. “We are committed to leveraging the state’s marketing resources to bring more visitors and more tax revenue to Southwest Virginia. These grant projects exemplify partnerships that are key to the region’s success as it continues to develop as a tourist destination.”
The Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) Marketing Leverage Program is designed to stimulate new tourism marketing through partnerships and to extend the "Virginia is for Lovers" brand. The objective of this program is to leverage limited marketing dollars, resulting in increased visitor spending.

A minimum of three entities must partner financially to apply. Partners may consist of Virginia towns, cities, 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 $1.4 million annually - matched and leveraged on average three-to-one by partner dollars.

The lieutenant governor also congratulated the Town of Abingdon for winning the Virginia Tourism Corporation “Bring LOVE to Your Town” social media promotion. Abingdon beat out 20 other Virginia localities for the right to display a giant “LOVE” artwork at the Barter Green through the month of September.
According to Virginia officials, tourism is one of Virginia's most powerful industries, generating $17.7 billion in revenue, supporting more than 200,000 jobs and providing $1.24 billion in state and local taxes.

For more information about tourism in Virginia, visit http://www.Virginia.org or call 1-800-VISITVA to request a free Virginia is for Lovers travel guide.