Giles County Receives Virginia Tourism Corporation Grant for Tourism Marketing
Giles County received a $30,000 grant from the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC)’s Marketing Leverage Program for its Storytelling and Broadcasting campaign.
Giles partnered with other local businesses to supply matching funds for the project. Central to this campaign is a strong storytelling framework that captures the rich, authentic narratives woven throughout the mountains and communities of Giles. By working with content creators and leveraging a variety of creative methods, Giles Tourism will document outdoor adventures, cultural experiences, and local voices that define the destination. These stories will be packaged into curated itineraries designed to inspire trip planning and encourage overnight bookings. In addition, this content will be strategically repurposed through broadcast and digital distribution to extend reach into homes, screens, and devices across Roanoke and the New River Valley. This approach supports visitation within a three-hour drive radius, introduces Giles County to new markets in West Virginia, and strengthens overall destination awareness and visibility in the Northern Virginia region.
In celebration of National Travel & Tourism Week, Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) awarded more than $2.2 million in matching grant and sponsorship funds to 143 tourism programs across the Commonwealth. These awards are funded through VTC’s Marketing Leverage and Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) Marketing Programs.
These programs pair local marketing investments with matching state funds to increase visitation, extend overnight stays, and grow traveler spending across the Commonwealth. This funding cycle, local partners will commit more than $4.3 million to match the VTC grant funds, generating more than $6.5 million in new marketing and event production initiatives focused on increasing overnight visitation to Virginia across all nine GO Virginia regions. In total, the awards will support 143 marketing programs and impact 858 tourism partners statewide.
“This award announcement means that Giles and our tourism partners can capitalize on new methods to reach potential visitors. We have the caliber of quality and unique experiences and operators to attract new visitors to our region and showcase Virginia’s Mountain Playground,” said Cora Gnegy, Tourism Director, Giles County, Virginia.
“Effective tourism marketing is key to turning interest into visitation and visitation into economic impact,” said Rita McClenny, President and CEO of Virginia Tourism Corporation. “These programs give our partners the tools to tell more compelling stories about their destinations, connect with travelers in meaningful ways, and inspire deeper exploration across Virginia.”
VTC’s tourism marketing and sponsorship programs are designed to maximize limited marketing dollars through public-private partnerships, stimulate new tourism promotion initiatives, and extend the iconic Virginia is for Lovers brand to drive visitation and increase visitor spending. Using the hub-and-spoke tourism partnership model, Virginia entities partner to apply for funding. Partners may include cities, towns, counties, convention and visitors bureaus, chambers of commerce, local or regional destination marketing organizations, museums, attractions, cultural events, and other tourism-related non-profits and private businesses.
These grant programs assist tourism-oriented applicants by matching their marketing commitment with additional funding to reach new markets and engage both new and repeat visitors:
- The Marketing Leverage Program is a reimbursable grant program that helps Virginia travel industry partners—including small businesses, DMOs, attractions, accommodations, and events—expand their marketing efforts.
- The Virginia DMO Marketing Program provides funding to destination marketing organizations for initiatives that demonstrate measurable economic impact and are designed to drive visitation to Virginia.
A full list of funding recipients for both grant programs can be found here.
VTC will open a Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Program grant round in summer 2026, which is designed to assist small tourism-oriented businesses and organizations with fall and winter marketing initiatives. The Virginia Special Events and Festivals Program will open in late 2026 for events occurring between January 1 and December 31, 2027. The next round of the Marketing Leverage Program and the Virginia DMO Marketing Program will open in February 2027. Organizations and businesses interested in applying for these grant opportunities may visit vatc.org/grants for more information.
Giles County, Virginia is located in Southwest Virginia, with easy access to the New River, world class dining and lodging properties, and historical attractions for the entire family, Giles offers adventure in Virginia’s Mountain Playground®. Come find your playground at our Visitors Center located at 203 N Main Street, Pearisburg, VA 24134 or our Trail Center located at 2125 Doe Creek Road, Pembroke, VA 24136 or find us online at VirginiasMtnPlayground.org or by calling 540-921-2079.
About Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC)
Virginia is for Lovers is one of the most iconic and recognizable travel brands in the world. Using that powerful brand equity, Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) is charged with promoting the Commonwealth as a premier travel destination by showcasing all there is to love in a Virginia vacation. The dollars spent by travelers fuel the economy, provide jobs for Virginians, and improve communities across the state. Simply put, tourism helps make Virginia a great place to live, work, and vacation. Learn more at virginia.org.
