WASHINGTON (Press Release) — U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo has announced that the department’s Economic Development Administration is awarding $196 million in American Rescue Plan State Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation grants to 24 states and territories.
The funds are part of EDA’s $750 million American Rescue Plan Travel, Tourism & Outdoor Recreation program, which includes $510 million in State Tourism grants. These investments will support marketing, infrastructure, workforce, and other projects to rejuvenate safe leisure, business, and international travel. With today’s awards, all 59 states and territories have received State Tourism grants. Last month, 34 states and the District of Columbia received a total of $314 million as part of the first batch of awards.
Projects vary in scope based on locally driven needs. For example, several grantees — from Guam to Georgia — will establish marketing campaigns to draw tourists back. Puerto Rico will use its grant to integrate tourism into distressed urban areas with activities that focus on local artists, cultural influences, and community involvement. Pennsylvania plans to create a diversity, equity, and inclusion leadership and workforce training program for the tourism industry. West Virginia will conduct a comprehensive assessment of industry needs to inform the creation of training and development programs for hospitality workers.
“Rebuilding the travel and tourism industry is a key component of the Biden Administration’s plan to build back better and restore the competitiveness of the United States on the global stage,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “The State Tourism grants give states and territories the flexible opportunity to boost their local tourism industry and ensure that jobs are restored and tourists return safely.”
“The coronavirus pandemic devasted the travel and tourism industry — the linchpin of many local economies across the country,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “EDA is proud to give state and territory leaders the resources to build back better through locally led strategies that uniquely address the challenges and opportunities of their state’s travel tourism and outdoor recreation industry.”
EDA’s American Rescue Plan Travel, Tourism & Outdoor Recreation program also includes $240 million in Competitive Tourism grants that will be awarded to advance the economic recovery and resiliency of communities where the travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation industries were hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
The following states, territories and Freely Associated States were awarded grants:
Alabama
American Samoa
California
Florida
Georgia
Guam
Hawaii
Idaho
Kentucky
Northern Mariana Islands
Republic of Marshall Islands
Federated States of Micronesia
Mississippi
New Jersey
North Carolina
Oregon
Republic of Palau
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
South Carolina
Tennessee
U.S. Virgin Islands
Virginia
West Virginia
For more about EDA’s Travel, Tourism & Outdoor Recreation and other American Rescue Plan programs, visit: https://www.eda.gov/arpa
About EDA
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.
