Wythe nabs $20k in tourism funding

Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced that more than $757,000 in matching grant funds will be awarded to 131 small businesses, Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), downtown business associations, and chambers of commerce as part of the Virginia Tourism Corporation’s (VTC) Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Program (MMLP).

The program is designed to leverage local marketing dollars with matching state funds to increase visitation and traveler spending in the off-season. This funding cycle, local partners will commit more than $1.1 million in private-public sector funds to match the VTC funding, providing more than $1.9 million in new marketing activity focused on small businesses and off-season visitation. Funding will be awarded to 131 marketing programs, ultimately impacting 655 combined partners, and supporting more than 1,300 jobs.

“Virginia Tourism’s Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Program provides the tourism industry with the tools they need to succeed and thrive in an incredibly competitive landscape,” said Rita McClenny, President and CEO of Virginia Tourism Corporation. “Tourism is a multibilliondollar industry in Virginia, and it is imperative that we are able to market the abundance of travel experiences across the Commonwealth year-round and invite travelers to discover for them- selves why Virginia is for Lovers.”

The VTC Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Program is designed to increase visitor spending by leveraging limited marketing dollars, to stimulate new tourism marketing through partnerships, and to extend the Virginia is for Lovers brand to drive off-season visitation. Using the hub and spoke tourism model, five Virginia entities partner financially to apply for funding. 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 tourismrelated businesses.

The VTC Microbusiness Marketing Program was created in 2022 to provide marketing funding to target off-season visitation to tourism-oriented small businesses with less than 20 full-time employees. Designed to drive overnight visitation during fall, winter, and early spring, the program provided up to $10,000 in matching dollars for marketing initiatives. Small businesses were eligible for up to $5,000, while DMOs, downtown business associations, and chambers of commerce were eligible for up to $10,000.

“With the grant funding, we will be able to broaden our marketing horizons and share our Five Over 5000 Challenge to hikers across the Blue Ridge,” said Sarah Gil- lespie, Executive Director, Smyth County Chamber of Commerce. “We will now be able to highlight not only our natural resources, but also promote our small businesses in a new, unique way. As the Smyth County Chamber of Commerce and HL Bonham Regional Tourism Center operators, we can cross-promote our natural assets and small businesses during the shoulder season and highlight Smyth County as a hiker-centered weekend destination. While attracting tourists during the shoulder season, we will be able to entice them to visit again across the seasons and give our small business a boost when they need it most.”