Giles County Tourism Receives Virginia Tourism Corporation DMO WanderLove Recovery Grant for Tourism Marketing

Giles County Tourism has received $10,000 from the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) DMO WanderLove Recovery Grant Program, a new grant made available to Virginia’s Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) across the Commonwealth that have been heavily impacted by the novel coronavirus pandemic to fund recovery marketing initiatives. $866,504 in marketing grant funds were awarded to 90 Destination Marketing Organizations as part of the DMO WanderLove Recovery Grant program.

Giles County will use the VTC WanderLove grant funds to redesign and print the popular driving tour maps for the county as well as design and print a new scenic adventure map to promote staycations in the area. The funds will also be used to advertise the county and tourism attractions and businesses with Blue Ridge Outdoors and Leisure Media, targeting drivable areas including Washington, D.C., Charlottesville, VA, and the Greenville, NC areas. They will also use Instagram and Facebook advertising to promote the destination to potential visitors.

“Giles is a rural community with many natural assets that bode well for physical distancing. It makes sense for us to support our tourism businesses and attractions for the unique, experiential, quality adventures they provide. These funds will allow us to implement parts of our marketing plan that may have gone uncompleted because of the public health situation and reduced transient taxes collected during the early parts of 2020,” says Cora Gnegy, Tourism Marketing Director for Giles County.

As Virginia begins reopening, there is a lot of pent-up demand for leisure travel and people are seeking safe, close-to-home destinations that allow for social distancing and access to open spaces. With this in mind, the WanderLove campaign provides travel inspiration for road trips, outdoor recreation, hidden gems, small towns, and Virginia’s signature LOVEworks program.

“Virginia tourism is a critical sector of our economy and has been heavily impacted by the coronavirus pandemic,” said Governor Ralph Northam. “Getting travelers back on the road and spending money in our cities and towns is one of the fastest ways to inject dollars back into our economy and our communities. The Virginia Tourism Corporation’s DMO WanderLove Recovery Grants gives localities the ability to market their destination as safe and welcoming when visitors are ready to resume travel.”

Tourism is one of the Commonwealth’s largest economic engines, with visitors to Giles County spending almost $29 million in 2018, supporting 249 work opportunities and contributing $2.23 million in local and state tax revenue. The tourism and hospitality industries have also been among the hardest-hit by the pandemic, experiencing decreased revenue and job loss, along with the temporary closure of many tourism-related businesses. A revived tourism economy can help spur new economic activity and inject critical funds back into Virginia communities.

About Giles County

Giles County, Virginia is located in Southwest Virginia approximately 40 minutes south of Roanoke and just west of Blacksburg and Virginia Tech. 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 find us online at gilescounty.org or by calling 540-921-2079.

About Virginia Tourism Corporation

Virginia Tourism Corporation is the state agency charged with marketing the Commonwealth as a premier travel and film destination. In 2018, visitors to Virginia spent $26 billion, which supported 234,000 work opportunities and contributed $1.8 billion in state and local taxes. In 2019, Virginia is for Lovers celebrates its 50th anniversary. To learn more, visit virginia.org