Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation awarded $5 million grant for regional tourism
FIle photo
The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation has secured a three-year, $5.13 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to support regional strategies to advance cultural and recreational tourism. The grant activities will benefit dozens of Appalachian gateway communities along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina that host millions of visitors each year.
The ARC grant and matching funds will help implement strategies outlined in the Blue Ridge Rising Action Plan, created with the input of hundreds of community leaders in the counties that neighbor the national park. Blue Ridge Rising marks the first time in the national park’s history that these counties are working together to implement travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation strategies that will have wide-ranging benefits throughout the Parkway corridor. The initiative earned the Public Lands Alliance’s 2025 Outstanding Public Engagement Award.
“After Hurricane Helene, wildfires, an ice storm, and other recent challenges, our local communities need this ARC grant now more than ever,” said Carolyn Ward, CEO of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. “We look forward to putting these dollars to work quickly to enhance Parkway-related tourism and local economies.”
This grant was made under the Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE), which is an ARC initiative that aims to drive large-scale, regional transformation through multistatecollaborative projects across Appalachia.
