To kick off National Travel and Tourism Week, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Monday that more than $3.2 million in matching grant and sponsorship funds will be awarded to 236 tourism programs as part of the Virginia Tourism Corporation’s Regional Marketing, Marketing Leverage, and VA250 Marketing Leverage programs.

These funding programs are designed to leverage local marketing dollars with matching state funds to increase visitation and traveler spending through 2024. This funding cycle, local partners will commit more than $15.5 million to match the VTC funding, providing more than $18.5 million in new marketing and event production activity focused on increasing overnight visitation to Virginia. The funding will be awarded to 236 marketing programs, ultimately impacting 1,161 combined partners.

Locally, three grants were awarded in Gloucester County: $20,000 to Gloucester, Parks, Recreation and Tourism for “The Past is Present – Visit Gloucester”; $17,500 to the Camp Cardinal ...