Greater Wilmington, DE - CVB was awarded a Transportation Incentive - 1:1 Matching Tourism Grant through the Delaware Tourism Office, (which is a part of the Delaware Economic Development Office) for the 2008-2009 fiscal year.

Grant Project Description: Create a transportation incentive, (either through partnership with other local organizations that benefit from economic impact or entirely through the GWCVB), to entice and help planners place a meeting, event, reunion or sporting event in the Greater Wilmington area - that results in achieving the overall goal of generating $200,000 in estimated economic impact.

The incentive will be designed to:

• Offer $5,000 in travel assistance to four different groups placing overnight business in the Greater Wilmington area
• Or $20,000 in travel assistance to one large group placing overnight business in the Greater Wilmington area

To generate the estimated economic impact goal of $200,000 - a planner must place an event that:

• Generates a minimum of 190 room nights to be eligible to receive a $5,000 incentive
• Generates a minimum of 750 room nights to be eligible to receive the full $20,000 incentive

Our compact and easily accessible destination is easy to navigate and offers a planner the flexibility to plan an offsite event at a fraction of the cost, due to the fact that most area museums, attractions and unique venues are located within a 10-mile radius.

In an economically challenging time, we realize our historically diverse area offers an ideal location midway between New York and Washington, D.C., is 30 minutes from Philadelphia’s Center City district and offers strategic access to one-third of the U.S. population, within a 350-mile radius.

In addition to assisting planners with transportation costs, choosing our area offers the added benefit for planners to experience immediate ROI before their event begins because no additional sales tax is added to meeting room rental, food or beverage. Attendees experience a similar benefit since this lack of sales tax also applies to shopping, dining and entertainment.

To learn more on how to apply for the transportation incentive, please contact our Director of Meeting/Event Sales above.