Governor Terry McAuliffe announced today that more than $796,000 in matching grant funds will be awarded to 45 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 173 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 $2.5 million, providing more than $3.3 million total in new marketing to increase visitation to Virginia.
Speaking about today’s announcement at an event in Abingdon, Governor McAuliffe said, “Programs like this will continue to diversify the economy in this region and attract visitors and jobs to these communities. When we invest in our tourism businesses, we are helping to build a new Virginia economy and make the Commonwealth the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”
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.
“The Marketing Leverage Program is a great example of a partnership between state and local enterprises to drive tourism,” said Maurice Jones, Secretary of Commerce and Trade. “The tourism industry is a key economic driver in the Commonwealth, supporting thousands of jobs and bringing businesses and visitors to see all Virginia has to offer.”
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.
Details on the grant awards are below. The next round of VTC Marketing Leverage Program grants is now open. Localities interested in applying may visit www.vatc.org for more information.
| Program Name | Lead Partner | Award Amount |
| Middleburg Film Festival | Middleburg Film Festival | $20,000.00 |
| Virginia Brazilian Festival | Tucanos Brazilian Grill | $2,583.00 |
| Half-Mile of Mayhem – Martinsville Speedway | Martinsville Speedway | $50,000.00 |
| Wine, Music and More all along the Blue Ridge Whiskey Wine Loop | Discover Shenandoah | $5,000.00 |
| Botetourt Wine and Brewery Trail | Botetourt County Office of Tourism | $16,776.00 |
| Discover Dinwiddie – Define Your Experience | County of Dinwiddie | $4,525.00 |
| The Art of Food with a side of Heart-Pumping Adventure | Harrisonburg Tourism & Visitor Services | $12,500.00 |
| Artisans Studio Tour Association | Artisans Studio Tour Association; Crozet, VA | $10,000.00 |
| Lynchburg Regional CVB – Website Development | Lynchburg Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau | $50,000.00 |
| Starr Hill Brewery 2015 Brand Refresh & Marketing Program | Starr Hill Brewery | $25,000.00 |
| Lockn’ Festival | Lockn’ Festival | $25,000.00 |
| Eastern Shore Birding and Wildlife Festival | Eastern Shore Eventacular, Inc. | $3,500.00 |
| Mountains of Adventure | Tazewell County | $5,000.00 |
| The Bluegrass, Barbecue & Brew Festival at Patrick Henry’s Red Hill | Red Hill, Patrick Henry National Memorial | $22,000.00 |
| Hampton Roads Sports Commission | Hampton Roads Sports Commission | $5,000.00 |
| 2016 SWVA Lavender Trail | Beagle Ridge Herb Farm | $1,700.00 |
| Wytheville…There’s Only One | Wytheville Convention & Visitors Bureau | $50,000.00 |
| Patsy Cline Historic House & Music Festival | Celebrating Patsy Cline, Inc. | $43,124.00 |
| New Ways to Market America’s Historic Triangle | Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Inc. | $50,000.00 |
| Millennial Marketing Campaign | Abingdon Convention and Visitors Bureau | $50,000.00 |
| Lexington/Rockbridge Outdoor Recreation & Adventure Campaign | Rockbridge Area Tourism | $31,924.00 |
| Virginia Oyster Country: Taste the River Life This Fall | County of Middlesex Virginia | $10,000.00 |
| Virginia Cider Association | Cobbler Mountain Cider | $5,000.00 |
| Curvy in All the Right Places! – Downtown Lynchburg, A City of Seven Hills | Craddock Terry Hotel and Event Center | $25,000.00 |
| Museums of Middlesex Marketing Leverage Grant | Deltaville Maritime Museum | $5,000.00 |
| Mercy Street | Alexandria Convention & Visitors Association d/b/a Visit Alexandria | $50,000.00 |
| Norfolk Festevents Marketing 2015-2016 | Norfolk Festevents, Ltd. | $25,000.00 |
| Fields of Gold – See You on the Farm Trail | Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission | $9,995.00 |
| Virginia’s Artisan and Oyster Trails – Visitor Invitational Events | Artisans Center of Virginia | $8,595.00 |
| “Road to China” Cultural Exchange | Richmond Ballet | $25,000.00 |
| Southern Virginia Wild Blueway | Halifax County Department of Tourism | $13,750.00 |
| Castleton Festival brings Jazz at Lincoln Center to Virginia | Castleton Festival | $25,000.00 |
| Virginia is for “Opera” Lovers | Virginia Opera | $25,000.00 |
| History on the Move: Mobile-Responsive Website for “Shenandoah at War” | Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation | $5,500.00 |
| Virginia Creeper Trail Website | Virginia Creeper Trail Club | $10,000.00 |
| Have you Experienced Lee County? | Lee County, VA | $6,437.50 |
| Anthem Richmond Marathon Marketing Initiative | Metropolitan Richmond Sports Backers | $25,000.00 |
| Time to Climb Campaign | Explore More Discovery Museum | $2,875.00 |
| 2015 Smith Mountain Lake Virginia Brochure | Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce | $4,759.50 |
| WBCM Radio Bristol –Marketing Launch Campaign | Birthplace of Country Music | $10,000.00 |
| Become a Local at the Abingdon Farmers Market | Appalachian Sustainable Development | $5,000.00 |
| Historic Aberdeen Gardens: Sharing a New Deal Settlement Community with Virginia Visitors | The Historical Foundation of Aberdeen Gardens Inc. | $3,300.00 |
| The Floyd Yoga Jam | The Floyd Yoga Jam | $2,500.00 |
| Thomas Jefferson Wine Festival | Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest | $4,977.50 |
| The River, The Trail and Small Town Fun | City of Galax Tourism Office | $5,000.00 |
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Chris Graham
