Danville City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to create a tourism zone for the River District and designated areas in the North Main Street area.
In addition, council authorized the city manager to submit to the Virginia Tourism Corp. an application for tourism zone designation. The state designation could help developers qualify for state financing.
The city could put local tax and regulatory incentives into place for qualified businesses. The Danville Office of Economic Development will develop and present to City Council a tourism plan that will outline the types of local incentives, if any, for tourism-based businesses that locate in the zone.
The purpose of the Tourism Zone is to promote Danville’s River District and other designated areas by providing incentives to eligible business entities that will attract visitors, create new employment opportunities, promote educational opportunities, and increase travel-related revenue.