Governor Abigail Spanberger announced that $205,300 in matching grant funds will be awarded to 46 tourism marketing programs through the Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Program (MMLP). The grants support small businesses, downtown business associations, and chambers of commerce in attracting visitors during off-season months.
Local partners will contribute more than $273,130 in matching funding, generating more than $478,400 in total marketing activity. The 46 funded programs will benefit 276 tourism partners statewide and support more than 130 full-time and 250 part-time jobs.
The MMLP uses a hub-and-spoke model, bringing together at least six Virginia entities to develop marketing campaigns that promote multi-day itineraries. Eligible partners include Virginia cities, towns, counties, destination marketing organizations, chambers of commerce, museums, attractions, and cultural events.
The grant announcement follows Spanberger's April launch of the Strategic Statewide Tourism Plan, which outlines a coordinated strategy to strengthen Virginia's visitor economy over the next decade. The state reported record-high visitor spending of $36.2 billion in 2025, supporting nearly 232,000 jobs and generating $10.6 billion in wages and salaries.