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PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release

For More Information, Please Contact:
The Media Relations Manager
Prince William County/Manassas CVB
703-396-7130 (ext. 14) info@visitpwc.com

BRENTSVILLE DISTRICT SUPERVISOR WALLY COVINGTON CELEBRATES NATIONAL TOURISM WEEK IN PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY BY TOURING THE MANASSAS MUSEUM

Old Town Manassas, VA – Supervisor Wally Covington took a walk back in time on Wednesday, May 16, 2007 as he joined Prince William County/Manassas Convention and Visitors Bureau (www.visitpwc.com) staff members on a tour of the Manassas Museum (www.manassasmuseum.org). His appearance was part of a National Tourism Week event, designed to highlight the impact of tourism on the city of Manassas, Prince William County and the commonwealth of Virginia.

The tour of artifacts, photographs and archival materials was narrated by Ann Harrover Thomas, a long-time museum volunteer who also serves as the chair of the 12-member board of the Manassas Museum Associates. The Manassas Museum System features eight historical properties, including the Manassas Railway Depot, the Hopkins Candy Factory, the Manassas Industrial School and the Mayfield and Cannon Branch Civil War Earthworks.

Covington is a former member of board of The Manassas Museum Associates, and his mother is a volunteer at the museum. This morning, Covington shared his thoughts on the importance of tourism on Manassas city and Prince William County. “Tourism is vitally important to small businesses, which in turn, are the lifeblood of making government work. Income from tourism and from small businesses helps keep the tax burden off the residents,” explained Covington.

Covington was elected to the Prince William Board of County Supervisors in November 2003. He serves on the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Transportation Planning Board and the Transportation Steering Committee for the Virginia Association of Counties. The Virginia Tech and University of Richmond School of Law graduate maintains a civil law practice in the City of Manassas. He lives with his family in Nokesville.

National Tourism Week events in Prince William County and Manassas continue through Friday, May 18, 2007. A complete listing of events can be found on the Convention and Visitors Bureau website (www.visitpwc.com). National Tourism Week, observed annually since 1984, is sponsored by the Travel Industry Association of America. It promotes a better understanding of travel as a major U.S. industry, vital to the economic stability and global perception of the United States. Tourism has a $1.5 billion annual economic impact on Virginia, accounting for 280,000 jobs with an associated payroll of $4 billion. Virginia welcomes 35 million visitors each year!