Va. Capital Trail Foundation, Lewis Ginter receive state tourism funds

Programs from the Henrico-based Virginia Capital Trail Foundation and Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden were two of the 259 local and regional tourism programs selected to receive funding from the Virginia Tourism Corporation’s Marketing Leverage Program and Regional Marketing Program.

In total, the VTC allocated nearly $2.8 million in matching grant and reimbursable sponsorship funds to the programs statewide. The Virginia Capital Trail Foundation earned $10,000 for its annual Cap2Cap cycling event between Richmond and Williamsburg, while Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden received $20,000 for “Outdoor Family Fun in RVA.”

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the grants May 2 to kick off National Travel and Tourism Week. The funding programs are designed to leverage local marketing dollars with matching state funds to increase visitation and traveler spending. During this funding cycle, local partners will commit more than $12.4 million to match the VTC funding, providing more than $15 million in new marketing activity.

“Tourism is a major economic driver for the Commonwealth of Virginia, providing and creating good jobs and injecting critical dollars back into our communities,” said Youngkin. “Virginia’s tourism industry has been unrelenting in its recovery efforts, developing innovative and best-in-class strategies to bolster the economy. These grant funds will help continue that momentum, further underscoring that Virginia is open for business and is the best place to live, work, and travel.”

The next round of VTC Marketing Leverage Program will open in mid-2022. The next round of Regional Marketing Program will open in early 2023. Organizations and businesses that are interested in applying should visit www.vatc.org for details.