VISITHATTIESBURG ANNOUNCES LOCAL TOURISM GRANT PROGRAM
HATTIESBURG (Sept. 7, 2018)— VisitHATTIESBURG is pleased to announce its new Tourism Grant Program (TGP), a dedicated fund for sponsorship of local events, festivals, and other community programs aimed to increase overnight travel to Hattiesburg.
This Tourism Grant Program will fund and support activities that attract visitors to Hattiesburg while also providing entertainment options to local residents.
“Hattiesburg tourism is an important part of our economy. It returns real dollars to our merchants when visitors spend money locally, but tourism also serves as our front door to the world. Creating this Tourism Grant Program strengthens our commitment to our community partners and provides another way for us to add value to the visitor experience in Hattiesburg,” Marlo Dorsey, Executive Director of VisitHATTIESBURG, said.
The new program allows VisitHBURG to be strategic and systematic in its sponsorship funding. The grant process requires a formal application and a plan of action, in addition to a final project report to be eligible for future funding.
Kristen Brock, Programs and Promotions Manager at VisitHBURG, oversees the Tourism Grant Program and its review panel.
“One of the things I love most about my job is working at the grassroots level with community partners to make their events and projects successful. Together we can make sure to leave visitors with a memorable and positive experience that will have them visiting Hattiesburg again,” Brock said.
To be eligible, projects must fall into one of VisitHBURG’s core strategic focus areas: grow tourism’s economic impact; communicate and amplify Hattiesburg’s story; strengthen its partner network and collaboration; prioritize placemaking and enhance the HBURG experience.
Organizations interested in a partnership through the new program may consist of attractions, associations, or agencies that promote events, products, or services to visitors outside a 50-mile radius. Qualified projects include festivals and events, attractions, and public use facilities like museums, historical buildings, meeting spaces, and sporting facilities.
Applications for the Tourism Grant Program must be received by Monday, Oct. 15, 2018 via postal mail to be eligible.
More information about the Tourism Grant Program and VisitHATTIESBURG’s focus areas can be found on the grant application page. For additional questions, please contact Kristen Brock at 601.296.7475 or kbrock@visithburg.org.
The Hattiesburg Tourism Commission, doing business as VisitHATTIESBURG™, is the official Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for the City of Hattiesburg. Created to promote the Greater Hattiesburg Area and its tourism industry to potential visitors, the mission of VisitHATTIESBURG™ is to increase overnight bookings for both leisure and corporate travel with the ultimate goal of growing the economic impact of these visitors on the local economy. By marketing Hattiesburg’s local hotel, dining, attraction, and shopping options, VisitHBURG has successfully tripled the city’s tourism industry since being established in 1990, making HBURG the third most visited city in Mississippi.
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