Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 30, 1993 TAG: 9303300176
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
Another winner will be the Virginia Division of Tourism, which will get $700,000 in free advertising out of the deal.
Lotto buyers will get a coupon when they buy their tickets. If they lose, they can send the coupon to an address where a second-chance drawing will be held for vacations and other tourist promotions.
The Lottery Department and the Tourism Division are asking businesses to donate prizes, which could include "everything from a weekend vacation, perhaps more, all the way down to river cruise tickets," said Martha Steger, a spokeswoman for the Tourism Division.
Smaller prizes also are to be offered, such as free meals or free tickets to amusement parks and historic sites, said Lottery Director Kenneth Thorson. The prize donors will receive "free advertising and publicity, increased traffic and customers," he said.
The owners have until June 1 to pledge prizes, Thorson said. The prizes are to be announced in October.
Steger said the state has not spent any of its $5.2 million tourism budget this year on advertising Virginia to Virginians. Instead, the focus has been on potential tourists from other states, because studies show the farther people travel, the more they spend.
Under the promotion, called See Lotto buyers will get a coupon when they buy their tickets. Losers can send the coupon to a second-chance drawing for vacations and other tourist promotions. Virginia First, the Lottery will advertise the vacation prizes. Steger said the ads are meant to increase Virginians' awareness of fun spots in their own state.
The promotion is in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the "Virginia is for lovers" tourism slogan.
Landmark News Service contributed to this story.
by CNB