Fairfax County will apply for grant funding from the Virginia Tourism Corporation to help boost tourism in the area.
The Board of Supervisors approved a request yesterday (Tuesday) from the Department of Economic Initiatives for $4.17 million that will be used in conjunction with Visit Fairfax, the county’s travel marketing agency.
Virginia has allocated $50 million of its American Recovery Plan Act funds to the Tourism Recovery Program. The Virginia Tourism Corporation will award grants to all localities based on how much they contributed to total state tourism revenues in 2019.
Visit Fairfax President and CEO Barry Biggar told FFXnow that the organization is “tremendously grateful” for the ARPA grant’s approval.
“This allocation will assist us greatly and go a long way in our recovery efforts of rebuilding and revitalizing the tourism industry of Fairfax County, indeed helping it return to pre-pandemic levels and beyond,” Biggar said in a statement. “It also clearly underscores how significant Fairfax County is to the overall tourism economy of the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
The county must submit a plan outlining how it will use the grant, which must go to marketing and promotional efforts. The funds must be spent by June 30, 2024.
According to a draft tourism recovery plan, Fairfax County lost $420 million in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on tourism. Tourism-related jobs accounted for at least 32% of all job losses in the Commonwealth, with 34% of hospitality job losses coming in Northern Virginia.
Job losses among hotel and restaurant workers were nearly twice as high as any other profession, according to data sourced from the Virginia Employment Commission. The document also notes that 63% of all job losses took place in industries with higher than average representation of people of color.
“The [grant] funds will be utilized to introduce new programs and projects of work that provide incremental economic impact to the county through avenues that Visit Fairfax hasn’t had the ability to previously explore,” Biggar said.
Strategic objectives listed in the county’s recovery plan include:
- Increasing hotel occupancy and sales tax revenues by putting more group events and business travelers into Fairfax County hotels
- Attracting and maximizing lucrative sporting tournaments for young and adult athletes
- Increasing awareness of Fairfax County as a preferred destination for local and international tourist groups
Angela Woolsey contributed to this report.
Recent Stories
Good Thursday evening, Fairfax County. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar. 🕗 News recap The following articles were published earlier…
A look at the most and least expensive single-family homes sold in Fairfax County last month, April 2024.
An officer who fatally shot a McLean man in 2022 violated Fairfax County Police Department policies, but the shooting itself was within policy and legal bounds, a new report on…
The historic Ellmore Farmhouse at Frying Pan Farm Park has finished renovations and is now ready to offer programming for adults with disabilities. The two-story farmhouse, which dates back to…
The Blue Swallow Farm Foundation is holding an online auction to celebrate three years of helping students and educators in outdoor instruction. We invite you to participate in our online auction to support our mission of providing authentic, outdoor experiences for children. This event not only serves as a fundraiser for our initiatives but also as an opportunity for you to acquire unique items and experiences while making a positive difference in the lives of students and educators. You can preview auction items and then register as a bidder. Bidding will begin on May 4. The bids will close on May 8. Proceeds will assist us in helping educators build outdoor classrooms, developing high-quality curriculum materials and professional development workshops, sending teachers and students to environmental youth summits, and assessing the benefits of outdoor learning.
Good news, D.C. area. You can save money on your next home cleaning with Well-Paid Maids. It’s easy!
We offer a discount when you set up recurring cleans — and the discounts just increased this week!
For weekly cleans, get $30 off each cleaning.
Pedal with Petals Family Bike Ride
Join us on Saturday, May 11th and ride into spring during our Pedal with Petals Family Bike Ride. Back for its second year, Pedal with Petals is going to be bigger than ever. This year’s event will include both an
Encore Creativity for Older Adults at Capital One Hall
Encore Creativity for Older Adults is pleased to raise the curtain and welcome community members to its spring concert at Capital One Hall in Tysons, VA on May 4, 2024. The concert, which starts at 3 PM, will bring hundreds
