By Benjamin Rothstein

DOVER — The Kent County Tourism Corp. has announced new branding: “Visit Central Delaware — Explore the Unexpected.”

The theme replaces “Delaware’s Quaint Villages” and comes with a new logo, color standards and typography.

“The goal of our new brand was to more accurately describe to our visitors exactly where we are located and to better promote and represent the vibrant essence that is Kent County,” Pete Bradley, the agency’s president, said in a statement.

“It also aligns well with our local organizations such as the Kent Economic Partnership/Choose Central Delaware and the Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce. Tourism plays a very important role in our community as (visiting, working and living) are all interconnected. It all starts with a visit!”

The rework also includes a new website, a visitors’ guide expected in August and a redesigned Mobile Visitor Center van due at the end of July.

“Our new website was designed to be more user-friendly with a brand-new look and updated features and to be a complete resource for our current and potential visitors,” he continued. “The new site outlines all the attractions, rich history, activities, events and festivals, and places to stay here in Kent County, along with some trip ideas, travel blogs, print-your-own itineraries, and so much more.”

The update was developed by Wilmington-based creative agency Aloysius Butler & Clark. According to Kent County Tourism marketing manager Catherine Jenkins, the project has been in the works for around a year.

She also spoke about the new tagline, “Explore the Unexpected.”

“Our tagline kind of came out of the idea that a lot of people kind of usually drive through Kent County to either get to Sussex, or they’re going north to Wilmington, and we wanted to stand out as a destination to stop at, not just to drive through,” Ms. Jenkins said.

“We wanted people to know that there’s more than what you see on your drive to the beach. We wanted it to be ‘Explore the Unexpected’ because you can find things here that you wouldn’t have thought if you’ve never been here before.”

The tourism industry contributed $4.5 billion to Delaware’s gross domestic product in 2022, the agency noted.

To learn more, go to visitcentraldelaware.com or explore the new social media handle, @VisitCentralDE.