ROANOKE, Va. – Tourism boards in Southwest Virginia received a financial boost to help attract visitors through the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Virginia Tourism Corporation awarded a total of $80,000 to five tourism boards. The awards included:
- $20,000 for Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge
- $20,000 for Botetourt County
- $20,000 for the Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce
- $10,000 to the Town of Rocky Mount
- $10,000 to the City of Salem
Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge President Landon Howard said his organization’s $20,000 will be spent mostly on online marketing. He believes regional travelers will look to the Roanoke Valley for a getaway.
“We’re looking at Greensboro, Raleigh, and Charlotte,” Howard said. “Those people may not be traveling to Europe for a two or three week vacation, but they will do weekend trips to places like Virginia’s Blue Ridge.”