JAMESTOWN — The Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation (JRF) announced that it is the recipient of a grant to put towards tourism marketing.
The Foundation received the grant from the Virginia Tourism Corporation’s (VTC) Recovery Marketing Leverage Program (RMLP). An Oct. 28 release from JRF states that this program is designed to hekp local and regional tourism entities attract more visitors by leveraging limited local marketing dollars through a local match of the state grants funds.
These grant programs through VTC were established to aid in the recovery of the tourism and hospitality industries in Virginia from the devastating impacts they experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The JRF release states that the RMLP is designed to “increase visitor spending by stimulating new tourism marketing through partnerships and extending the ‘Virginia is for Lovers‘ brand.”
“The tourism and hospitality industries have been among the hardest-hit by the pandemic, experiencing decreased revenue and job loss, along with temporary closure of many tourism-related businesses,” said Gov. Ralph Northam. “These funds will help to revive Virginia’s tourism economy, which will help spur new economic activity and inject critical funds back into its communities.”
JRF will use the $10,000 grant to launch a new marketing initiative called, “Exploring Jamestown: America’s Birthplace.” The focus of the campaign will be encouraging road trips to Jamestown with highlights of activities and events that tourists and locals can enjoy during their visits.
Additionally, JRF has partnered local businesses and organizations including: Spoke + Art Provisions Co., Billsburg Brewery, Magnolia Catering, the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation, and James City County. These partnerships will collaborate with the Foundation to create road trip itineraries which JRF says will be curated to an individual’s or group’s interests. Itineraries will focus on groups who enjoy outdoor recreation, history, couples, families, as well as food and craft-beer lovers. Examples of itineraries can be found by clicking here.
“This Virginia Tourism Corporation grant will allow us to share the unique experiences and hidden gems of Jamestown while encouraging visitation to the area,” said JRF Director of Visitor Services Kelly Beckley. “We are incredibly grateful for the VTC’s support of this initiative.”