Addison County Regional Marketing Partnership wins Economic Recovery Grant Funds to Promote Addison County Tourism, Businesses and Recreational Opportunities

A collaboration between the Addison County Economic Development Corporation, Addison County Chamber of Commerce, Better Middlebury Partnership, Vergennes Partnership, and Bristol CORE has received a $30,000 grant from the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, Department of Tourism and Marketing, for regional marketing. These funds were awarded to the State of Vermont through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and have been distributed to 22 grantees across the state.

The Tourism and Economic Recovery Marketing Grants are intended to enable local, regional, and statewide organizations to implement campaigns and initiatives that increase tourism spending, support local businesses, and advance community recovery efforts to support businesses in Vermont that have suffered economic harm due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

The Addison County Regional Marketing Partnership has contracted with marketing agency LONDONmiddlebury to create an integrated campaign (digital, social & collateral) that promotes Addison County as a welcoming, community-minded tourism destination with opportunities for everyone to explore. The campaign will feature seasonal, interest-based sample weekend or short trip itineraries for the county, highlighting shopping, dining and hospitality businesses, historical sites, museums, and local recreational opportunities. 

The target audiences for these efforts include individuals and families interested in day, weekend, and extended trips within a day’s drive of the metro areas of the Albany Capital Region, New York City, and Boston. One of the goals of the campaign will be to encourage a diversity of visitors, including BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities, to discover all that Addison County has to offer as a welcoming destination with a multitude of tourism opportunities. 

“This collaborative effort by the Addison County Regional Marketing Partnership will further assist the recovery of tourism and related business growth in Addison County. We would like to thank the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, Department of Tourism and Marketing for selecting our program as a grant recipient,” commented Phil Summers, Executive Director of the Addison County Chamber of Commerce.