TAZEWELL, VA (WOAY) – Visit Tazewell County has received the maximum $10,000 from the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) DMO WanderLOVE Recovery Program, a new grant made available to Virginia Destination Marketing Organizations (DMO) 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 DMOs across the Commonwealth.
Visit Tazewell County will use the VTC WanderLove grant as a re-entry into the tourism marketplace to spur economic activity and travel to the County through targeted social media campaigns, print advertising and fun giveaways highlighting our towns and LOVEworks.
AJ Robinson, Director of Community Development and Tourism stated “Tourism is an important part of Tazewell County’s economy and we’re grateful to have been selected by Virginia Tourism to participate in the WanderLove program. We’re looking forward to encouraging Americans to hit the road and enjoy the beauty and outdoor adventure Tazewell County has to offer.” Robinson continued, “We are still working on a launch date for the campaign. With COVID-19 cases in the county showing a significant increase over the past few weeks, it is important that we responsibly administer the program, ensuring not only the safety of visitors but protecting our community from additional spread of the virus.”
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 Grant 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 and hardest hit by the pandemic, experiencing decreased revenue and job loss, along with the temporary closure of many tourismrelated businesses. A revived tourism economy can help spur new economic activity and inject critical funds back into Virginia communities.
