EXMORE—The Town of Exmore has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Virginia Tourism Corporation’s (VTC) Recovery Marketing Leverage Program (RMLP). The program is designed to help local and regional tourism entities attract more visitors by leveraging local marketing dollars through a local match of the state grants funds.
Exmore will use the grant funding to promote spring travel and to develop a new web presence for Visit Exmore, the town’s tourism arm. Visit Exmore will showcase the town’s amenities, including three national hotel chains, 150+ businesses, the Exmore Town Park and an expanding list of annual events, from Oyster Roasts and Car Shows to Free Shakespeare in the Park and the only Juneteenth Festival on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
“Exmore is ideally positioned in the geographic mid-section of the Eastern Shore peninsula, within easy reach of attractions in all directions,” says Mayor Douglas Greer. “Revenues generated by travelers make a substantial impact on our local community and help strengthen our infrastructure. As we emerge from the 2020 downturn in travel, Exmore plans to leverage this grant to support a rebound for our business community in ways that increase tourism activity and spending in 2021.”
Overall, more than $1.9 million in matching grant funds were awarded to 161 local tourism initiatives through the RMLP program. This funding cycle, local partners will provide more than $5.6 million in-kind value to match the VTC grants. The grants will ultimately impact 483 statewide tourism entities.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the tourism and hospitality industries in Virginia. As the Commonwealth slowly reopens for business, VTC offered these grant funds as a first step to re-entry into the marketplace to spur economic activity and future travel across the Commonwealth of Virginia.
“Tourism is a crucial section of the Virginia economy and when we invest in this industry, we support local job creation and drive regional economic growth, which is desperately needed now due to the pandemic,” said Governor Ralph Northam. “These funds give localities and businesses access to critical marketing resources that will help bring more travelers to our Commonwealth, increase visitor spending, and grow demand for Virginia products.”
Tourism is one of the Commonwealth’s largest economic engines, with visitors to Exmore contributing an estimated $485.000 in local and state tax revenue in 2019. The tourism and hospitality industries have also 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.
About Exmore
Exmore, “The Shore’s Hometown”, is the largest town in Northampton County, and one of the most diverse and welcoming. Since its earliest history, Exmore has been a thriving commercial hub and that tradition continues with more than 150 businesses town-wide including New Ravenna, America’s premier designer and manufacturer of handcrafted mosaics. With a central location and three national hotel chains located on the busy Route 13 corridor, Exmore is ready to grow.
About Virginia Tourism Corporation
Virginia Tourism Corporation is the state agency charged with marketing the Commonwealth as a premier travel and film destination. In 2019, visitors to Virginia spent $27 billion, which supported 237,000 work opportunities and contributed $1.8 billion in state and local taxes. To learn more, visit virginia.org
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