Surry County has received $20,000 from the Virginia Tourism Corporation’s Recovery Marketing Leverage Program, designed to help local and regional tourism entities attract more visitors.

The Surry County Tourism Program will use the VTC Recovery Marketing Leverage grant funds to produce and market two short videos promoting the county as a “road-trip” tourism destination from markets within and surrounding Virginia.

“We are so excited to have the opportunity to implement the use of quality video in our marketing plan for the very first time,” said Pat Bernshausen, Surry County tourism coordinator. “Earlier this year the county developed a road-trip itinerary and marketing program with provided by Virginia Tourism Corporation through their WanderLove campaign. We will be using the same itinerary to film the experience and promote the resulting videos via platforms that will reach a much wider audience throughout Virginia, and in neighboring states. By offering travelers a safe experience in our community, we’re helping local businesses and attractions stay open, which contributes to the local economy. We are grateful for the participation of The Surry Seafood Company, Chippokes State Park and Hampton Roads Winery for partnering in the successful grant application.”

“Collaboration such as this creates wins for the entire community,” David Harrison, deputy county administrator.

“Virginia travel and tourism are the backbone of our communities and economy, and they have been among those hardest hit by the pandemic,” said Gov. Ralph Northam. “This program gives localities and businesses access to much needed marketing resources to sustain their operations and ensure the Commonwealth’s many attractions are safe for visitors. These critical investments will help to grow demand for Virginia products, drive local spending and restore additional economic activity as we continue our road to recovery.”

Visitors to Surry County in 2019 spent more than $10.9 million, supporting 101 employment opportunities and contributing $316,186 in local tax revenue. 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.

To learn more about tourism opportunities in Surry County, visit surrycountytourism.com.

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 about Virginia Tourism Corporation, visit virginia.org.