Oct 16, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
David Rotenizer
Director of Tourism
Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation
276.403.5940
drotenizer@yesmartinsville.com
Crystal France
Director of Marketing/PR
Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation
276.403.5940
cfrance@yesmartinsville.com
Southern Virginia Hosts Tourism FAM Tour
~ Virginia Tourism Corporation officials to visit Martinsville-Henry County ~
Martinsville, VA (Oct. 16, 2006) – Virginia Tourism Corporation officials, including representatives from each of Virginia’s 10 welcome centers, will be in Southern Virginia this week participating in a FAM Tour. “FAM Tour” is a tourism industry term for familiarization tour. Such tours are used to acquaint a specific group with an attraction or series of attractions. These are opportunities for tourism leaders to showcase and promote assets for marketing. The group will be in Martinsville-Henry County on Wednesday, October 18.
According to David Rotenizer, Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation’s Director of Tourism, “only a select number of tourism assets could be included in this tour due to time constraints.” FAM Tour participants will visit the Martinsville Speedway, Piedmont Arts, Virginia Museum of Natural History, UpTown Martinsville, Philpott Reservoir and Bassett Historical Center. A working lunch will be held at PHCC Artisan Center where brief presentations will be given on the Artisan Center, Uptown Martinsville, Farmers’ Market, New College Institute and work of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Martinsville-Henry County is only one stop on this FAM Tour which also includes visits to Danville, Pittsylvania County, Halifax County, South Boston and Clarksville. This is the first FAM Tour for the new Southern Virginia Tourism region and the first FAM Tour for Martinsville-Henry County.
“The knowledge and impressions they get will be what goes back to the various Welcome Centers around the state. We want them to go back with a positive impression of our region – so they will pass this on to tourists who inquire about the area,” says Rotenizer.
The mission of the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation is to create new job opportunities and expand the tax base for the area. The organization strives to support and develop local industry, as well as market Martinsville-Henry County globally as an exceptional place to live, work and play.
The EDC is a public-private partnership between the City of Martinsville, Henry County, the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce, the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber’s Partnership for Economic Growth (C-PEG) and the Harvest Foundation of the Piedmont.
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