Governor Ralph Northam today announced more than $840,000 in matching grant funds to be awarded to 56 local tourism initiatives as part of the Virginia Tourism Corporation’s (VTC) Marketing Leverage Program (MLP).
The MLP grants are designed to help local and regional tourism entities attract more visitors by leveraging limited local marketing dollars through a local match of the state grants funds. This funding cycle, local partners will commit more than $3.1 million to match the VTC grants, providing more than $3.9 million in new marketing funds to increase visitation to Virginia. The grants will ultimately impact at least 232 other statewide tourism entities.
“Virginia’s tourism industry is a key pillar of our economy and growing it is a great way to create new jobs and opportunity in every corner of the Commonwealth,” said Governor Northam. “These grants help communities across the Commonwealth discover new ways to market themselves to travelers by creating new tourism products and enhancing existing attractions and destinations. These efforts improve the visitor experience, making it easy for travelers to discover why Virginia is for Lovers.”
The VTC 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 tourism-related businesses. In total, VTC awards approximately $1.7 million annually – matched and leveraged on average of 3:1 by partner dollars.
“The Marketing Leverage Program grants continue to provide critical funding for our tourism businesses across the state, and demonstrate the power of public-private partnerships,” said Esther Lee, Secretary of Commerce & Trade. “These dollars are injected into local economies across the Commonwealth, helping to create vibrant communities and premier destinations that attract travelers from all over the world. These efforts help to ensure that Virginia remains the best state in the nation not only to visit, but to live, work, and raise a family.”
Details on the grant awards are below. The next round of VTC Marketing Leverage Program grants will open on April 10, 2018, with a June 26, 2018 deadline. Localities interested in applying may visit www.vatc.org for more information.
A full list of Marketing Leverage Program grant recipients can be found below:
| Program Name | Lead Partner | Award Amount |
| “A Walk Through History”: Augmented Reality Project at Museum | Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation | $2,150 |
| “Untap the Possibilities” ~ Suffolk, Virginia’s Craft Brew Marketing Initiative | Suffolk Division of Tourism | $3,000 |
| “Discover Shenandoah” Weddings Drink Virginia Wine and Spirits | Discover Shenandoah | $10,000 |
| 91st Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival® | Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival | $24,250 |
| A Masterwork in Progress | William King Museum of Art | $5,000 |
| Biplanes and Brews | Military Aviation Museum | $5,000 |
| Birthplace of Country Music – 2018 Video Development Project and Marketing Campaign | Birthplace of Country Music | $50,000 |
| Blue to New Regional Agritourism Brand Launch | Giles County | $2,500 |
| Boat to the Beach | Colonial Beach Chamber of Commerce | $9,000 |
| Brand USA Road Trip Video | Arlington Convention and Visitors Service | $9,000 |
| Breaks Adventure Athlete Films | Breaks Interstate Park | $25,000 |
| Celebrating 25 Years of Vacations | Heart of Appalachia Tourism Authority | $50,000 |
| Come to the Mountains of Southwest Virginia | Chestnut Creek School of the Arts | $5,000 |
| Crab Orchard Museum Website & Marketing | Crab Orchard Museum | $5,000 |
| Craft Beer & Music Festival- weekend in Exmore, VA | ESO Arts Center | $1,255 |
| Damascus – A Friendly Shoulder | Town of Damascus | $5,000 |
| Discover Bristol 2018 Creative Content Development and Marketing Campaign | Bristol Convention & Visitors Bureau | $25,000 |
| Discover Inspiration On Every Corner | Weyanoke Hotel | $25,000 |
| Erik the Travel Guy goes to Montgomery County VA | Montgomery County Regional Tourism Office | $5,000 |
| Experience Appomattox Marketing Campaign | Appomattox Chamber of Commerce | $5,000 |
| Experience Russell Phase II: Climb High & Float Easy | Russell County Tourism | $5,000 |
| Explore the New River City—How One Family Helped Shape Virginia | Radford Heritage Foundation | $2,375 |
| Find It In Farmville: Phase II | Town of Farmville | $2,500 |
| Genuine Smithfield and Isle of Wight Mobile Responsive Website | Smithfield & IOW Tourism | $34,992 |
| GoChesapeake / Chesapeake Passport | Virginia Water Tourism Corp | $5,000 |
| Hampton Roads Soccer Council (Hampton Roads Soccer Complex and North American Sand Soccer Championship) | Hampton Roads Soccer Council | $5,000 |
| Hanover Virginia Tourism Marketing Campaign | Center of the Universe Brewing Co. | $5,000 |
| Heroes of Music & Music for Heroes – Discover Virginia through the Arts | Virginia Arts Festival | $25,000 |
| I love this ______. Fill in your blank in the Shenandoah Valley | Massanutten Bike Park | $18,247 |
| Let the Exploration Begin Washington, DC Campaign | Shenandoah Caverns | $6,000 |
| Lynchburg is for Lovers | Academy Center of the Arts | $2,500 |
| Marketing Materials and Non-Print Advertising | Garth Newel | $12,500 |
| Martinsville Speedway – Fall 2017 VTC Marketing Leverage Program | Martinsville Speedway | $25,000 |
| New Regional Website, Eastern Shore | Eastern Shore of Virginia Tourism Commission | $9,454 |
| NRV Trail Guide | New River Valley Regional Commission | $2,500 |
| People of Page | Page County Economic Development/Tourism | $2,500 |
| Philpott 3 | Martinsville/Henry County Tourism | $5,000 |
| Plan a Weekend Getaway in Olde Towne Portsmouth | Olde Towne Business Association | $4,500 |
| Portsmouth Cultural Arts District Marketing Campaign | Portsmouth Department of Marketing, Communications & Tourism | $10,140 |
| PPTF 2018 Marketing Grant Request | Petersburg Preservation Task Force | $50,000 |
| Pulaski Paths Forward | Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce | $10,000 |
| Rails, Trails and Ales in Virginia’s Blue Ridge | Virginia’s Blue Ridge | $50,000 |
| Revitalized Downtown Wytheville Campaign 2018/Expanded Wytheville Website Phase Two | Wytheville Convention & Visitors Bureau | $50,000 |
| Richmond Black Restaurant Experience – Marketing Campaign 2018 | Virginia Black Restaurant Experience | $5,000 |
| Richmond Festival of the River | Richmond Symphony | $7,500 |
| Rives Theatre in Martinsville VA | Rooster Walk, Inc. | $3,200 |
| Roanoke Street Pub | Deschutes Brewery | $12,500 |
| This is Our Rush Hour DC Metro Takeover | Shenandoah County | $50,000 |
| Tom Tom Founders Festival | Tom Tom Founders Festival | $25,000 |
| Trails & Tracks: Get Outdoors in Luray & Page County | Luray-Page County Chamber of Commerce | $25,000 |
| Tween Rivers Trail Brand Awareness Campaign | Rappahanock-Rapidan Regional Commission | $21,012.50 |
| Virginia Craft Spirits Roadshow & Related Marketing Activities | Virginia Distillers Association | $10,000 |
| Virginia Highlands Festival “Create” | Virginia Highlands Festival | $17,170 |
| Virginia’s Crossroads – Find Your Path! | Mecklenburg County VA Tourism Office | $20,000 |
| Website Creation Part II: Content is King | Abingdon Convention and Visitors Bureau | $25,000 |
| Your Ticket To The Blue Ridge | Blue Ridge Travel Association | $5,000 |
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