Jennifer Valente has won more Olympic and World Championship medals than any other American Cyclist, and she recently spent some time training in Roanoke with VBR Team 2024 -- and with 10 News Anchor and outdoor reporter John Carlin.

ROANOKE, Va. – Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge has just been awarded a $10,000 tourism recovery grant. The organization will use that money to enhance branding efforts, marketing the region as a hub to experience metro-mountain adventure, especially to cities within driving distance. “We’re really working hard to find that balance of inviting people to the region as well as making sure that are residents are safe as well, but it’s all about really helping the businesses sustain and recover from this pandemic,” said Catherine Fox, vice president of public affairs and destination development for Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge. The Virginia Tourism Corporation has awarded more than $866,000 in marketing grant funds to 90 organizations across the commonwealth.

ROANOKE, Va. A popular local hotel is making some changes in response to the coronavirus. The meeting rooms in the Hotel Roanokes conference center have been designed to try to ensure social distancing. On Thursday, Visit Virginias Blue Ridge held its quarterly meeting in the hotel to witness first-hand the new social spacing protocols put in place as a result of COVID-19, according to a news release. Visit Virginias Blue Ridge is working to create a safe space for meetings and events as the state gradually reopens. Hotel Roanoke is also taking extra steps to keep hotel rooms clean.

ROANOKE, Va. – Tourism in Virginia’s Blue Ridge is starting to rebound now that the state has begun to reopen. Landon Howard, President of Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge, said Thursday a lot of families from Virginia and North Carolina are asking for information about outdoor activities. Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge’s visitors center in Roanoke will reopen June 12. According to data provided by Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge, tourism industry revenue was down an average of 70% over the last three months compared to last year. He’s also still hopeful there will be a strong rebound in tourism in 2021.