(Des Moines) The Iowa Tourism Office announced $299,200 in Iowa Tourism Grants to 33 organizations around the state. The program funds tourism-related marketing initiatives, meetings and events that benefit both local economies and the state’s economy with awards ranging from $2,500-10,000 with a 25% cash match.
Here in southwest Iowa, Golden Hills RC&D received $6,400 for the Southwest Iowa Art Tour, the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County received $10,000 for Council Bluffs Attraction Promotion to Nebraska, Pottawattamie Countywide Tourism Promotion Committee received $10,000 for 2023 Pottawattamie County Shoulder-Season Marketing Campaign, and Southwest Iowa Nature Trails Project, Inc. received $10,000 for Rooster Tail Ride.
Visitors spent more than $6.1 billion across Iowa’s economy in 2021, an expansion of 35% over 2020 spending and within 5% of a full recovery to pre-pandemic levels. This direct visitor spending impact generated a total economic impact of $9.4 billion in Iowa, sustained nearly 65,000 jobs and generated $1.0 billion in state and local tax revenues in 2021.
