Eastern Shore Tourism Receives Boost With New Virginia State Grants, Here’s All You Need To Know

Published on October 22, 2025

From Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s office, complete $625,000 successful authorities tourism grants are made available, focusing connected recreation and tourism passim Virginia. The volition is to enlarge visitant spending and assistance off-peak mini businesses, quaint towns, and attractions economically passim nan year. The backing recipients are 104 section tourism initiatives crossed Virginia. These matching grants are allotted for tourism improvement projects and for nan continued support of nan recreation and tourism manufacture for nan Commonwealth of Virginia.

Supporting Off-Peak Tourism Across Virginia

The authorities grants are portion of Virginia’s ongoing efforts to beforehand tourism, particularly successful nan enarthrosis seasons — nan periods betwixt highest recreation times. Governor Youngkin emphasized that Virginia’s record-breaking tourism numbers show nan important economical effect nan manufacture has connected nan state. He said, “These grants will thief destinations and mini businesses marketplace themselves much effectively, invited travelers year-round, and showcase nan very champion of Virginia — from outdoor adventures and historical treasures to awesome nutrient and trade beverages.”

The tourism grants purpose to amended trading efforts, ensuring that mini businesses, section attractions, and taste experiences crossed Virginia get nan vulnerability they request to tie visitors passim nan year. This will use a wide scope of communities, particularly those that whitethorn not typically spot precocious tourer postulation during off-peak seasons.

Three Key Programs Driving Tourism successful Virginia

The backing for these tourism initiatives is distributed done 3 chopped programs operated by nan Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC). These programs are designed to target circumstantial areas of Virginia’s tourism scenery and meet different needs wrong nan industry.

1. Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Program
   This programme is focused connected helping mini businesses pinch less than 20 full-time labor grow their trading efforts during nan off-season. The Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Program will beryllium peculiarly adjuvant for section businesses that mightiness struggle pinch trading during quieter months. By providing mini businesses pinch nan resources to summation their visibility, this programme ensures that they tin stay competitory and pull visitors year-round.
2. Vacation Starts pinch Virginia Co-op Program
   This inaugural supports destination trading organizations (DMOs) by backing research-driven advertizing campaigns. The extremity is to beforehand Virginia arsenic a recreation destination and promote visitors to sojourn lesser-known locations. By leveraging cooperative advertizing pinch section partners, this programme boosts nan corporate trading efforts of communities crossed nan state, helping them pat into a broader audience.
3. VA250 Tourism Marketing Program
   In mentation for nan 250th day of American independence, this programme focuses connected highlighting Virginia’s domiciled arsenic nan birthplace of nan nation. Under nan taxable “America: Made successful Virginia,” this programme celebrates nan state’s rich | history and positions it arsenic a cardinal destination for those willing successful learning astir America’s origins. The VA250 programme builds excitement for Virginia’s important humanities landmarks, specified arsenic Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Monticello, drafting visitors who are passionate astir American history.

Tourism Grants Boosting nan Eastern Shore

On Virginia’s Eastern Shore, respective section tourism programs will use from nan authorities grants. These programs are designed to bring much visitors to nan region, highlighting its unsocial history, culture, and earthy beauty. The backing will support section events, attractions, and initiatives aimed astatine showcasing nan champion of nan Eastern Shore.

• Sailfest Cape Charles
  Cape Charles, a charming municipality connected nan Eastern Shore, will person astir $10,000 successful backing to beforehand its Sailfest event. The yearly show attracts thousands of visitors, offering a vibrant operation of maritime activities, unrecorded music, nutrient vendors, and section crafts. This assistance will thief grow nan event’s visibility, encouraging much visitors to be and acquisition nan charm of Cape Charles.
• Eastern Shore Tourism Commission’s Self-Guided Driving Trail
  The Eastern Shore Tourism Commission will usage portion of nan backing to create a self-guided driving way successful cardinal Accomack County. This way will supply visitors pinch an opportunity to research nan county’s scenic beauty and humanities sites astatine their ain pace, making it a unsocial and accessible action for tourists. In addition, nan committee will usage costs to boost its societal media promotion done nan Vacation Starts pinch Virginia campaign, expanding nan region’s visibility online.
• Northampton County’s Hidden History Driving Tour
  Northampton County will person $10,000 to support its “Hidden History Driving Tour,” a task that highlights nan rich | taste and humanities practice of nan county. This inaugural will pull history enthusiasts and funny travelers eager to research nan lesser-known sites of nan Eastern Shore. The circuit will bring attraction to nan region’s unsocial history, connecting modern-day visitors pinch nan past successful a meaningful way.
• Onancock Main Street’s “Experience Onancock” Tour
  Onancock, a picturesque municipality successful Accomack County, will usage a $5,000 assistance to heighten its “Experience Onancock — Virginia is for Small Town Lovers” tour. This inaugural will connection visitors an immersive look into Onancock’s small-town charm, historical architecture, and vibrant arts scene. The town’s unsocial blend of section shops, restaurants, and galleries makes it a cleanable destination for visitors looking to flight nan hustle and bustle of larger cities.

Strengthening Virginia’s Tourism Industry Year-Round

These grants are conscionable 1 illustration of really Virginia is moving to boost tourism, diversify its economy, and thief section businesses thrive. Tourism is 1 of nan state’s largest economical drivers, and these initiatives play a cardinal domiciled successful ensuring that visitors proceed to flock to Virginia, moreover during nan off-peak seasons. By supporting section trading projects, Virginia tin pull a wide scope of tourists, from those seeking outdoor adventures to history buffs and foodies.

Governor Youngkin’s announcement demonstrates nan state’s committedness to sustaining tourism maturation year-round, ensuring that mini towns and section businesses tin proceed to use from nan influx of visitors. By strategically targeting different regions, specified arsenic nan Eastern Shore, these programs guarantee that tourism reaches each area of Virginia, benefiting some well-known and hidden gems crossed nan state.

A Promising Future for Virginia Tourism

Virginia is eager to prolong improvement for its tourism manufacture arsenic shown by nan precocious announced tourism grants. Focusing connected targeted trading during nan highest and off-peak tourism seasons positions Virginia to go a year-round destination for a assortment of tourists. Virginia will proceed to summation world travelers owed to its unsocial operation of earthy recreational opportunities, taste history, and a continually processing almanac of events. Such tourism trading will guarantee Virginia’s position arsenic 1 of nan United States’ premier recreation destinations.