Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation

Regional Tourism Partnership Begins Marketing Initiative with the 2006 Godspeed Sail

May 4, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: David Rotenizer
Office of Tourism
Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation
276.403.5940
drotenizer@yesmartinsville.com


Southern Virginia is On the Move
~Regional Tourism Partnership Begins Marketing Initiative with the 2006 Godspeed Sail ~

Martinsville, VA (May 4, 2006) – Martinsville and Henry County are poised to embark on the 2006 Virginia on the Move Godspeed Sail, visiting ports in six major East Coast cities in 80 days. Martinsville and Henry County began this journey last fall when they partnered with seven Southern Virginia destinations to form the Southern Virginia on the Move partnership.

Bedford, Berry Hill Plantation Resort, Clarksville, Danville, Halifax County, Martinsville-Henry County, Pittsylvania County, and Virginia International Raceway (VIR) joined forces to ensure the Virginia Tourism Corporation’s investment in “all Virginia has to offer” would include the extensive tourism assets of Southern Virginia.

This commitment and the efforts of the Southern Virginia on the Move partners were rewarded with a Tobacco Commission grant April 27 allowing full participation during the sail. Southern Virginia representatives will be on site at each port, along with a display area including a DVD shown on a large plasma TV highlighting the region. A Southern Virginia website, www.TravelSouthernVa.com, will be online by the end of May, and a toll-free number will provide a vehicle to request additional information about Southern Virginia. Each port will be preceded by a media campaign to help draw attention to the event and to distribute information regarding what Virginia has to offer.

The Southern Virginia on the Move exhibit highlights the motor sports excitement; history; beautiful architecture, arts and culture; mountains, rivers and lakes; the tranquility of rural America; and luxurious resort accommodations of Southern Virginia.

“This is a terrific first step forward for the newly established region being called Southern Virginia. It is an example of what our region can accomplish by working together. The fact that we are finally able to play on the same level as Williamsburg, Mount Vernon, Loudon County, Richmond, Norfolk, and other established tourism areas around the state is significant. It is really tough for smaller, more rural, tourism programs to compete at the national level,” said David Rotenizer, director of tourism for the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation.

“On our own, Martinsville and Henry County could never have attempted participation in the project. Through the joint pooling of resources within the region, supplemented by a generous grant from the Virginia Tobacco Commission, our local tourism assets can be promoted to a national market. ”

The newly commissioned re-creation of one of the three ships that helped establish Jamestown, Va. as America’s first permanent English settlement in 1607, Godspeed will begin its 80-day voyage on May 22, when it departs from its home berth at Jamestown Settlement. During its six-port tour, working in close partnership with local communities, Godspeed and its “Landing Party Festival” will dock at the Alexandria Old Town Waterfront from May 27 – June 3; Baltimore Inner Harbor from June 9 – June 12; The Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia from June 16 – June 19; South Street Seaport Museum in New York City from June 27 – July 6; the John Joseph Moakley U.S Courthouse and Fan Pier in Boston from July 14 – July 19 and the Newport Yachting Center in Newport, R.I. from July 25 – July 30. Admission to all Godspeed Sail events is free.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans will visit the ship, which will be accompanied by a unique “Landing Party Festival.” The festival will offer a glimpse into early 17th-century America and the legacies on which our nation was founded. The 2006 Godspeed Sail is one of 10 signature events and hundreds of other community projects commemorating America’s 400th Anniversary.

The Southern Virginia on the Move partnership is an initial cooperative effort of the Southern Virginia tourism industry. The partners are committed to doing everything possible to assist Southern Virginia in expanding it’s existing tourism assets, attracting new tourist businesses, increasing the number of tourists to the region, and lengthening their stay. By so doing, this tobacco-dependant region will be able to develop innovative economies and create new opportunities for the area’s residents in the tourism industry.