AUSTIN Governor Greg Abbott and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism today announced the opening of applications, beginning July 6, for the Texas Travel Industry Recovery Grant Program established by Senate Bill 8 and signed into law by the governor after 87 .Legislative session to administer $180 million in funds received from the National Coronavirus Fiscal Recovery Fund under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
The purpose of the TTIR program is to provide grants for the recovery of Texas tourism, travel and hospitality businesses that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19, according to a press release.
“Travel and tourism is a critical component of both state and local economies,” Abbott said in a press release. “Visitor spending at Texas destinations brings new money to communities and encourages local job creation across all industries in every region of the state. After a decade of record expansion in which 1 in 10 Texas jobs were supported by tourism, the travel industry has been among the hardest hit by the pandemic. While direct travel spending in Texas is recovering at a faster rate than the national average, the awarding of these grants paves the way for a more prosperous and brighter future for all Texas communities.”
The TTIR program will support the Texas tourism, travel and hospitality industry by making grants available to businesses negatively impacted by COVID-19. Applicants in the following industries are eligible for a one-time grant of up to $20,000: arts, entertainment and recreation; food services and places to drink; passenger accommodation; RV parks and recreational camps; Passenger organization and reservation services; organizers of congresses and fairs; breweries; wineries; and distilleries.
Applying for the TTIR program requires all applicants to submit supporting documents along with their application to demonstrate compliance with grant and eligibility requirements.
The Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism will host a series of webinars for specific industry groups to provide more information and answer questions about the application process and the TTIR program:
>> Breweries, wineries, distilleries, organizing trips & Reservation services, conventions & Fair organizers and RV Parks & Webinar on recreational camps: 1 p.m. until 2 p.m. on July 12.
>> Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Webinar: 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm July 21.
>> Webinar on passenger accommodation: 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. August 11.
>> Restaurants and Drinking Places Webinar: 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM September 1st.
To register for the webinars and for grant eligibility and application details, deadlines and more, visit: tinyurl.com/mr3kdycu
