Waynesboro, Va., a charming town nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is a destination for outdoor enthusiasts and art lovers alike. Tourists can take advantage of year-round activities like hiking, scenic drives and fly-fishing. From a cultural standpoint, visitors can take their pick from richness in the form of a theater, shops, art galleries and restaurants amidst a backdrop of murals from the annual Virginia Street Arts Festival.

Put simply, the region has a vested interest in maintaining its stature as a destination in the South. An economic development tool known as the Building Opportunities to Support Tourism (BOOST) program has helped the town maintain its foothold as a tourism powerhouse.

“With a population of 23,000, according to the last census, we’re the gateway to the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Shenandoah National Park,” Assistant Director for Economic Development and Tourism Stephanie Duffy said. “So we have very heavy outdoor recreation. We also have a growing and amazing arts and culture sector.”

This landscape means that the area and its stakeholders live and die by tourism dollars. However, sometimes organizations don’t have the budget to devote to significant spending on advertising when it matters the most. The BOOST program can help fill the gaps by reimbursing destinations for qualifying marketing expenses. For instance, grantees can use the grant monies to pay for expenses like graphic design, professional photography and magazine ads, to name a few.

Started in 2011, the BOOST program awards grants of up to $3,000 to local events and initiatives that promote travel and spending in Waynesboro. Grant applications open in July and grant recipients are announced in August. Per Duffy, applications are reviewed and judged by a panel of three to five people, including city staff and others who have marketing knowledge without having ties to any applications.

Duffy has been with the program since its inception and has witnessed its positive impact firsthand. In the 2024 grant cycle, they awarded $15,000. They had seven applicants this year, and all received partial or full funding. Duffy said that over the years they’ve helped multiple events and initiatives ranging from those that have been around for five decades to ones that are just getting off the ground. Either way, the funds are put to good use.

“I’ve seen it kind of grow and evolve,” she said. “I’ve seen the benefits of it from the different events and initiatives that have been able to take advantage of it.”

According to Duffy, the program’s somewhat broad guidelines have allowed a diverse range of organizations to benefit from the program. For example, the Virginia Fall Foliage Art Show in October is a long-standing tradition that attracts more than 20,000 visitors to the area. Another grantee, the Virginia Institute of Blacksmithing, offers unique classes and draws tourists from across the country. In all cases, the BOOST program has helped fund marketing efforts and expand the venue’s reach.

Speaking of reach, a key aspect of the BOOST program is its emphasis on strategic alignment. Duffy specifically highlighted the importance of partnerships among area destinations, event planners and hospitality venues.

“We love partnerships,” she said. “If an event can partner with one of our lodging assets — either a B&B or a hotel — that’s always going to be (preferred). They’re definitely driving that visitor from outside the radius, bringing them here and keeping them here longer.”

In that vein, Duffy said data collection can make for a stronger grant application. It’s ideal if organizations have mechanisms in place to track who’s coming, their geographic origin and what they’re doing while in Waynesboro. These insights can help determine if marketing efforts are translating to quantifiable results.

On that front, Duffy said the program’s success is evident in the rise of Waynesboro’s tourism industry. Visitor spending in the town reached a record high of $77.8 million in 2023, a 6.5% increase over the previous year. Tourism also supports over 800 jobs in Waynesboro and generates valuable tax revenue for the community.

In her words, “We’re bringing people here, and they’re spending their money, and that’s going into our tax revenue. That’s beneficial for the community and the citizens. That’s tax money that doesn’t have to come out of their pockets.”

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