$3 Million Awarded for Tourism Promotion

8/6/2009
Idaho Travel Council Announces Annual Grant Awards


The Idaho Travel Council granted more than $3 million dollars in tourism marketing funding to 36 organizations through the Idaho Regional Travel and Convention Grant Program at their annual summer meeting held in Sandpoint this week.

Eligible award recipients include non-profit local and regional tourism development organizations such as chambers of commerce and convention and visitors’ bureaus. The organizations use their awarded grant dollars to promote cities, towns and regions of the state as tourist destinations. Program elements may include print and electronic advertising, brochures, travel shows, direct mail, industry research and the creation of Web sites.

A few of the organizations awarded this year include the Idaho Ski Area Association, Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association and the Downtown Boise Association, along with several chambers of commerce and convention and visitors’ bureaus.

“We are pleased to be able to put money back into communities to help with local marketing efforts, and are especially pleased at the sustained level of tourism dollars brought into the state this past year, given the current economic situation. Idaho experienced a tenth of a percent growth in national market share, in no small part due to leveraged marketing dollars that helped to spread the word about what a great value an Idaho vacation is,” said Karen Ballard, Administrator for the Division of Tourism Development.

Building Idaho’s economy by increasing visitor expenditures throughout the state is the goal of the Idaho Travel Council and the Tourism Development Division, as tourism is a more than $3 billion dollar industry in Idaho. The division's activities are funded by a two percent lodging tax, paid by travelers and collected by the state's hotel, motel and private campground owners. Forty-five percent of the funds are used for statewide programs targeted to international and domestic consumers, tour operators, travel agents, travel journalists, and film industry marketing. Another forty-five percent is distributed back in the grant program. The remaining ten percent is used for administration of the division.

Total lodging tax collections for fiscal year 2009 were just under $7 million.

For a complete list of award recipients, click here. For a complete list of ITC Members, click here.

News tag(s): Travel Communities Business