EDA ARPA Grants
To boost the recovery of the tourism industry, the Economic Development Administration allocated $750 million as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Utah was granted $3,768,641 in September 2021, which has been invested in thirty-one subgrantee projects statewide and six key initiatives. These funds are helping to strengthen Utah’s tourism and support local communities
Three subgrantee opportunities were offered to Destination Marketing Organizations, county and city governments, and non-profits across Utah. Applications scoring 70% or higher, as evaluated by an internal committee, were recommended to the EDA, which made the final approval or denial decisions.
Feasibility and Economic Impact Studies
A competitive grant opportunity for DMOs and/or communities to study the viability of new and existing regional tourism products.
Bear Lake Chamber
Round 2
Downtown Study
BLANDING CITY
Round 2
Downtown Study
City of green river
Round 1
Events/Rec Center Study
Joseph town
Round 2
Dark Skies Study
Kane County
Round 2
Big Water Main Street Study
Kane County
Round 2
OHV Park Study
Ogden/weber CVB
Round 1
Destination Development Plan
Ogden/Weber CVB
Round 2
Arts & Culture Tourism Study
Payson city
Round 2
Equestrian Park & Indoor Rodeo Study
Tooele County
Round 2
"Need for Speed" Market Research
Torrey Dark Skies
Round 2
Solar System Scaled Model
utah state university
Round 2
Dark Sky Passports
Implementation
A competitive grant opportunity for DMOs and/or communities to implement destination management and development activities.
Hildale City
Round 2
New Tourist Center Branding
Joseph Town
Round 2
Concert Equipment
Juab County
Round 2
Digital Birding Guide
Morgan county
Round 2
Website & Itineraries
Ogden/weber cvb
Round 2
Art Instillation
piute county
Round 2
Drag Race Timing Equipment
piute county
Round 2
OHV Event Equipment
San Juan County
Round 2
Wayfinding Sign System
Southern Utah University
Round 2
Utah Summer Games Marketing
Summit CountY
Round 2
Summit Bike Share Project
Tremonton City
Round 1
Wayfinding Sign System
utah state university
Round 2
Outdoor Arena Sound Equipment
Utah Valley CVB
Round 2
Tourism Kiosks
Warrior rising
Round 2
National Veterans Event
Product Development Studios
A competitive grant opportunity for DMOs and/or communities to provide training and consulting services to local partners. Participants will create a vision, organization, and strategy to develop and market specific tourism products.
juab County
Round 1
Dark Skies Project
Payson city
Round 2
Food Hall Project
PAYSON CITY
Round 2
Huish Theater Study
UTAH VALLEY CVB
Round 2
Agritourism Trail Project
Subgrantee awards were announced for Rounds 1 and 2. Due to time constraints, the EDA recommended not offering a third round. Congratulations to all R1 and R2 subgrantees! Please be mindful of deadlines and use the resources provided to complete your projects and reports.
2024 Deadlines: Contracts & Initial Invoices - Due ASAP | Semi-Annual Report Opens - 9/30/24 | Semi-Annual Report Deadline - 10/11/24
Niche Audience Studies
The purpose of niche audience studies is to help the Utah Office of Tourism better attract low-impact, highly-engaged visitors and recreators and prepare communities to manage their destinations. UOT will contract with a vendor(s) to conduct market research studies to identify five niche travel audiences, including details like demographics, travel and spending habits, and opportunities for new tourism and recreation products. Examples of niche audiences include Hispanic travelers, agritourists, and dark skies tourists.
Contact: Becky Keeney, Director of Strategy | [email protected]
Sentiment Surveys
The Utah Office of Tourism will conduct sentiment surveys to understand the impact of tourism on communities, visitors, and industry stakeholders, with results informing strategies through 2027. Record visitation at Utah’s parks and resorts highlights the need to identify tourism pinch points and growth opportunities. Initial findings show mixed resident reactions, with concerns about crowding and affordability. UOT will use these insights to adjust marketing strategies and may commission more comprehensive studies based on ongoing research.
Contact: Denise Jordan, Director of Marketing Analytics and Research | [email protected]
Utah Film Trail
For 100 years, Hollywood has been using Utah's magnificent settings to enhance films. Utah's mountains, deserts, and urban environments have been featured in film favorites such as Forrest Gump, Thelma and Louise, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Sandlot, just to name a few. Film tourism has been on the rise for several years. Some in the tourism industry call it "set jetting" when people travel in search of their favorite film locations. In Utah, this can be tricky, and depending on the landscape, even dangerous. Visitors have had to rely on various websites to provide information about what was filmed at what location. The Utah Film Trail will enhance the visitor experience by establishing signage at dozens of significant locations across the state, and in doing so, encourage more visitation, especially to rural Utah.
Contact: Utah Film Commission | [email protected]
Responsible Visitation Messaging
In recent years Utah has seen an increase in first-time visitors as well as a large number of new residents who are experiencing Utah's outdoors for the first time. An unintended consequence is that many people are going into the outdoors unprepared, and unaware of proper, sustainable behaviors. This has resulted in increased incidents of vandalism, trespassing, trash, forest fires, and illegal camping. Increasing numbers of call-outs for search and rescue operations have also created a strain on emergency services providers in both urban and rural areas. To address these statewide issues, The Utah Office of Tourism will create key messaging aimed at visitors and residents alike to protect and enhance our tourism resources.
Contact: Becky Keeney, Director of Strategy | [email protected]
Tourism Exchange
The Tourism Exchange increases the opportunity for Utah’s suppliers to reach global audiences and become visible and bookable. (In particular, small businesses that do not have the time, resources, and knowledge to do so independently).
Contact: Rachel Bremer, Director of Global Markets | [email protected]
Tourism Resiliency Training
Across the state of Utah, and especially in rural Utah, we know many visitors are looking for businesses and people to provide, guide, and curate paid visitor experiences. This creates opportunities for new businesses and the growth of existing businesses that are willing to meet the needs, especially in emerging areas of tourism including agritourism and astrotourism. To foster business, job creation, and economic resiliency, the Utah Office of Tourism will provide training in these fields so destinations can become self-sufficient, as well as financially, legally, and professionally proficient.
Contact: Rachel Creer, Partner Resource Manager | [email protected]
Contact:
Rachel Creer, Partner Resources Manager | [email protected]