Four local programs have picked up nearly $80,000 in tourism promotion grants from the state.
Governor Bob McDonnell announced Thursday that the Virginia Tourism Corporation will award over $660,000 in matching grant funds for various tourism initiatives across the state, $80,000 of which will go to local programs, through its Marketing Leverage Grant program. The program aims to stimulate tourism marketing and increase visitor spending while leveraging limited marketing dollars. Local organizations will need to match state funds at least 3-to-1 for projects ranging from websites and social media to signage and advertisements.
Local recipients of this round of funding include: $24,968 for America’s Historic Triangle marketing program; $25,000 for James City County to promote the 2012 Kingsmill Championship; $25,000 to the Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance to promote Williamsburg Area Arts Month and $5,000 for An Achievable Dream for its 3rd Annual Run for the Dream Half Marathon, 8K Run/Walk and Kids Fun Run.
“Tourism plays such a vital role in Virginia’s economy,” said McDonnell. “These grants help bring more visitors to Virginia, and in doing so they help create and sustain jobs while generating revenue for businesses and tax income for the localities and the Commonwealth.”
The Alliance’s Senior Vice President for Tourism Bob Harris said the funds will help attract visitors to the area. “The funds provided to the tourism partners in the Historic Triangle region provide us with almost $80,000-worth of support that we are able to use to increase the region’s tourism marketing efforts,” he said.
“Each of these projects provides our area with additional visitors who spend time and money in our destination.”
The Alliance will use the new funding to help market Arts Month, a special emphasis marketing program started by the Alliance to promote the many art experiences during the month of September through the first weekend in October.
The new funds will let the Alliance “expand the length of our commercials as well as expand our advertising from Washington, D.C., Hampton Roads and Richmond to also include Baltimore,” Harris said.
“By partnering with the Virginia Tourism Corporation through this program we are able to tell more potential visitors about the many offerings our destination has produced for Arts Month 2012.” Though it rained through many of the weekends last year, the area still saw a 5.2 percent increase in occupancy during Arts Month, according to Harris.
The grant for the collaborative America’s Historic Triangle is the name of a ticket and vacation package promotion that is a partnership between the Jamestown Settlement Café, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, National Park Service and Preservation Virginia. The package includes admission to Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area and Art Museums, Jamestown Settlement, Historic Jamestowne, Yorktown Battlefield, and Yorktown Victory Center.
The America’s Historic Triangle budget, totaling $120,218 for the coming year, is managed by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation (JYF), and the program is marketed through online advertising, select print ads and paid brochure distribution, according to a JYF spokeswoman.
James City County received the tourism funding to promote the LPGA Championship at Kingsmill Resort, which is returning this September after a three-year hiatus.
An Achievable Dream will use its award for its 3rd Annual Run for the Dream, a fundraising race through the Historic Triangle. The race benefits An Achievable Dream, a non-profit organization that operates two nationally recognized K-12 schools in partnership with the public school system, and the Wounded Warrior program.
The Historic Triangle has previously received these grant awards for marketing the area as a Christmas tourism destination and also for the America’s Historic Triangle promotion.
