2007 Tourism Grants Awarded
An important part of the state’s marketing efforts, the Tourism Matching Funds grant program assists local communities and non-profit tourism organizations with local and regional tourism marketing and development projects.
Preferred marketing activities under this program include:
- Paid media advertising
- Cooperative regional marketing
- Shoulder and off-season promotions
- Group tour marketing
- Strong travel sales materials accompanied by aggressive distribution plans.
Projects should draw visitors from more than 100 miles away or from out of the state. Grants are awarded to projects with the greatest potential for positive economic impact on the state and local economies.
Eligibility Requirements
Any statutorily empowered tourism marketing agency or legally chartered non-profit North Carolina organization that includes tourism promotion among its major activities is eligible to apply for a grant under these programs. Documentation of legal status, tax exemption, federal employer identification number and organizational purpose is required with application. For-profit businesses may not go through an eligible organization to apply for these monies.
Maximum Awards
Typically, the N.C. Department of Commerce’s Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development sets aside $127,500 in matching grant funds to assist statewide, regional and local destination marketing organizations and some governmental entities in marketing their areas as travel destinations.
The grants are based on the 2007 economic development tier ranking of the N.C. Department of Commerce. The tier ranking favors projects in rural and depressed regions of the state, providing as much as $7,500 per grant to projects in the Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties. Grant awards and funding levels vary depending on county ranking.
- Organizations in the Tier 1 and 2 counties provide one dollar per four state dollars received up to $7,500.
- Organizations in Tier 3 and 4 counties may receive as much as $3,500 at a three to one matching rate.
- Organizations in the Tier 5 counties may receive as much as $3,500 matching each state dollar with two local dollars.
The call for proposals deadline for FY 2007-2008 was 5 p.m. on August 24, 2007. Below are links for downloading the guidelines, application form and county tier designations.
Nearly $130,000 in matching grants, ranging from $18,000 to $6,750, were awarded to 29-tourism-based marketing initiatives across the state. (See 2007 Tourism Grants Awarded.)
Resources
For questions, contact:
Teresa Watts
N.C. Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development
(919) 733-4171
twatts@nccommerce.com
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