The North Dakota Department of Commerce today announced that the new 2021 Tourism Planning Grant application will open on Sept. 13, 2021.
The 2021 Tourism Planning Grant appropriated by the legislature is intended to support tourism developers who have a destination project that would have the ability to attract visitors from outside North Dakota and retain them for at least 4-6 hours and preferably an overnight stay-in or near the community.
“There is tremendous opportunity for new major attractions to be built in North Dakota,” Commerce Tourism and Marketing Director Sara Otte Coleman said. “This grant will help projects do the planning needed to build business and implementation plans to support development.”
Eligible projects will allow for implementation within 60 days of receipt of the funds and are intended to complete a project concept rather than for beginning stages. Projects will fall under two priorities:
- Priority one - Comprehensive plans will fund the completion of a plan, or to update an existing plan that is more than five years old, specific to the development of a major new destination attraction.
- Priority two - Feasibility plans will fund the completion of a feasibility study identifying the potential economic and social impact a major attraction would have on the community and the state.
Eligible applicants may be awarded up to $500,000 per proposed plan, with a minimum of $100,000 to be awarded.
Eligible entities include:
- Destination marketing and management organizations
- Economic development corporations
- Private or non-profit tourism development entities
More information about the grant can be found at ndgov.link/Tourism-Planning-Grant