Fairfax County, VA – July 29, 2020 – Visit Fairfax has received $10,000 from the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) Destination Marketing Organizations (DMO) WanderLove Recovery Grant Program. The program is designed to fund recovery marketing initiatives in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic. A total of $866,504 in marketing grant funds were awarded to 90 tourism organizations as part of the WanderLove program.
Visit Fairfax will use the WanderLove grant funds to promote the varied outdoor experiences found within the county, highlighting unexpected ways of reveling in the great outdoors. Visitors (and residents) will be encouraged to form their own itineraries featuring different areas of Fairfax County, which may include the stunning waterfront vistas from the East Lawn at George Washington’s Mount Vernon to the varied outdoor patios at Fairfax County Breweries or a quiet kayak trip along Pohick Bay to the campgrounds at Bull Run Regional Park.
“The impact of COVID-19 has been tremendously challenging to the travel industry and we are grateful to Virginia Tourism Corporation for doing what they can to help fuel the industry’s recovery,” said Barry Biggar, President & CEO of Visit Fairfax. “Fairfax County is very lucky to have an incredible array of safe outdoor experiences that Visit Fairfax will continue to market, which will be critical to the residents’ and visitors’ quality of life as we all navigate through this crisis.”
As the Commonwealth begins to reopen, research shows that potential travelers are seeking safe, close-to-home destinations that are accessible by car and allow for social distancing and access to open spaces. Virginia Tourism Corporation’s WanderLove campaign aims to provide travel inspiration for these types of road trips and recreation.
“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 Fairfax County spending more than $3.29 billion in 2018 – the second largest contributor of expenditures to Virginia’s entire tourism industry. The tourism and hospitality industries have 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.
Visit Fairfax (www.fxva.com) is the official tourism organization for Fairfax County, Virginia. Charged with destination marketing and tourism promotion, it is directed by many of the County's top tourism and hospitality leaders. Be sure to follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/visitfairfaxva), Twitter (@VisitFairfax), and Instagram (@VisitFairfax). Hashtag: #FXVA
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 celebrated its 50th anniversary. To learn more, visit virginia.org.
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