~ Press release issued by Luray-Page County Chamber of Commerce
The Luray-Page County Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Center has received funding in the amount of $25,000 from the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) Marketing Leverage Program.
In total, VTC awarded more than $929,000 for 59 tourism marketing projects across the state to help increase visitation and revenue for Virginia’s communities through tourism.
The local chamber received a $25,000 grant for its “Go Play Outside in Luray-Page County” marketing program for 2020-21. The Chamber partnered with Luray Caverns, Delaware North at Shenandoah National Park and Shenandoah River Outfitters Inc. to supply $5,000 in matching funds for the project to draw visitors to Luray-Page County and all its outdoor experiences. This is the ninth year the local chamber has received funding from the VTC for their marketing efforts.
The marketing program will focus on promoting Page County as a hub for outdoor recreational activities such as hiking, backpacking, biking, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, fishing, camping, horseback riding, and bird and wildlife watching. It will encourage visitors to embrace all the many outdoor experiences that abound in Luray-Page County.
“It allows us to showcase the variety of different activities and events available in the area and keeps our visitors coming back year after year, as well as enticing new visitors to travel and vacation in the area,” said Gina Hilliard, chamber president.
Grateful for the state’s continued support of the Visitor Center’s marketing efforts, Hilliard believes that the slight tweaks and changes in focus in the marketing plan make a huge difference in keeping the Luray-Page area as a “Top of Mind” destination.
The VTC Marketing Leverage Program is designed to increase visitor spending by leveraging limited marketing dollars, providing 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 visitor bureaus, chamber 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 three-to-one by partner dollars.
In 2018, tourism in Virginia generated $26 billion in revenue, supported the livelihood of more than 235,000 Virginians and provided $1.8 billion in state and local taxes.
Virginia Tourism Corporation is the state agency charged with marketing the Commonwealth as a premiere travel and film destination.
Learn more by visiting www.VATC.org (industry) and www.Virginia.org (consumer).
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