ILLINOIS (WCIA) — Counties, nonprofits and more in Illinois will soon be able to apply for grant funding to improve tourism throughout the state.
Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced that over $2 million in tourism funding will be available through two different grants.
The Tourism Attractions Grant Program has $1.7 million in funding, and the Tourism Private Sector Grant Program will give out $600,000.
Those eligible for both of the tourism grants include counties, municipalities, not-for-profit organizations, local promotion groups and for-profit groups. The Tourism Attraction grants are also open to units of local government.
“Illinois is the best place in the nation to visit and our booming tourism industry proves it,” Pritzker said. “With an additional $2.3 million in funding, these grant programs will help develop and enhance attractions, support events and festivals, and bring even more visitors to our great state. This will fuel communities across Illinois from boosting small businesses to strengthening local economies and supporting our working families.”
The Tourism Attractions Grant Program will help improve and develop tourism attractions by providing funding for museums, recreation areas, amusement parks and more. The goal of the program is to increase visitation rates, boost hotel occupancy and increase local hotel and sales tax revenue.
“As we like to say, Illinois is the ‘middle of everything,’ with tourism as a key driver of economic growth throughout the state,” Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton said. “This investment will create more opportunities for existing attractions and allow for new events and sites to enhance that growth, attracting more visitors to our great state.”
The Tourism Private Sector Grant Program will help to support events and festivals across Illinois. The money can be used for advertising, transportation, equipment rental, receptions. registration, entertainment and more.
“As Illinois’ world-class tourism industry continues to grow, DCEO is providing grant opportunities to boost tourism across the state,” DCEO Director Kristin Richards said. “State assistance will help eligible entities develop and improve tourism attractions, events and festivals throughout Illinois.”
Entities can apply for $15,000 to $200,000 for the Tourism Attraction program, but a 1:1 match is required.
For the Tourism Private Sector grants, organizations can apply for $10,000 to $50,000, with a 1:1 match.
Applications will be accepted until Dec. 20, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. To apply for the Tourism Attractions Grant Program, click here. The application for the Tourism Private Sector Grant Program can be found here.
The DCEO will host a webinar to help applicants prepare to apply for funding for the Tourism Attraction Grant Program at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 26. A webinar will be held for the Tourism Private Sector Grant Program on the same day at 11 a.m.
The grant recipients will be selected through a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process.
For any additional questions about the grant programs, interested parties can reach out to CEO.GrantHelp@illinois.gov.
