Over $3.95 Million Awarded for Tourism Promotion Boise, Idaho
During its summer meeting held in Sun Valley this week, the Idaho Travel Council (ITC) granted over $3.95 million in tourism marketing funding to non-profit organizations through the Idaho Regional Travel and Convention Grant Program.
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 are varied, but often include print and digital advertising, brochures, attendance at travel shows, public relations, direct mail, industry research and the creation of web sites.
“These grants support Visit Idaho’s core mission–to increase travel and visitor expenditures throughout all of Idaho in order to increase tax revenues and employment,” said Idaho Tourism Manager Diane Norton.
Fiscal Year 2016 grant award recipients are:
| Applicant | Amount Awarded |
| REGION 1 | |
| Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau |
$ 488,000 |
| Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce |
$ 141,500 |
| North Idaho Tourism Alliance (NITA) |
$ 94,000 |
| Post Falls Chamber of Commerce |
$ 73,250 |
| REGION 2 | |
| Grangeville Chamber |
$ 13,000 |
| Hells Canyon Visitor Bureau |
$ 55,865 |
| Kamiah Chamber of Commerce |
$ 33,000 |
| Moscow Chamber of Commerce |
$ 56,365 |
| Orofino Chamber of Commerce |
$ 22,000 |
| Salmon River Chamber of Commerce |
$ 42,000 |
| REGION 3 | |
| Boise Convention & Visitors Bureau (BCVB) |
$ 742,500 |
| Cascade Chamber of Commerce |
$ 42,000 |
| McCall Area Chamber of Commerce |
$ 165,462 |
| Nampa Chamber of Commerce |
$ 77,500 |
| Southwest Idaho Travel Assoc (SWITA) |
$ 313,000 |
| REGION 4 | |
| Southern Idaho Tourism (SIT) |
$ 275,608 |
| REGION 5 | |
| Bear Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) |
$ 42,125 |
| Southeast Idaho High Country |
$ 99,900 |
| Pocatello Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) |
$ 124,142 |
| REGION 6 | |
| Snake River Territory Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) |
$ 161,500 |
| Teton Valley Chamber of Commerce (TVCC) |
$ 54,634 |
| YellowstoneTeton Territory (YTT) |
$ 284,000 |
| REGION 7 | |
| Hailey Chamber of Commerce |
$ 31,000 |
| Lemhi County Economic Development Assoc |
$ 26,000 |
| Lost Rivers Economic Development |
$ 3,000 |
| Stanley-Sawtooth Chamber of Commerce |
$ 37,400 |
| Sun Valley Marketing Alliance Inc |
$ 220,000 |
| MULTI REGION | |
| Idaho Bed & Breakfast Assoc (IBBA) |
$ 29,286 |
| Idaho Outfitters & Guides Assoc (IOGA) |
$ 72,147 |
| Idaho RV Campgrounds Assoc (IRVCA) |
$ 82,538 |
| Idaho Ski Areas Assoc (ISAA) |
$ 55,450 |
| TOTAL 2015 ITC GRANT AWARDS |
$ 3,958,172 |
Tourism is a more than $4 billion dollar industry in Idaho, and building Idaho’s economy by increasing visitor expenditures throughout the state is the goal of the Idaho Travel Council and the Idaho Department of Commerce – Tourism Development team. The team’s activities are funded by a two-percent 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, and travel journalists. Another forty-five percent is distributed back to communities through the grant program. The remaining ten percent is used for administration of the division.
Total lodging tax collections for Fiscal Year 2015 were $8,797,398, an increase of 8.65% over last year. For a history of the grant awards, click here and open the “History of Grant Awards” document. For a complete list of ITC Members, click here.