Destination development is any activity that increases and improves the quality of a visitor’s destination. To make tourism a vibrant, healthy, and manageable component of the local economy, communities need to craft and implement tourism management strategies that are local, authentic, and desirable. From large to small and rural to resort, every community can benefit from destination development.
Destination development:
- Improves the visitor experience, leading to increased spending and tax revenues
- Diversifies and strengthens urban and suburban economies
- Enhances the recreation and support service infrastructure in emerging, rural tourism destinations
- Increases support services, capacity and visitor season for developed gateway communities
- Learn more about the details, requirements and deadlines of the UOT’s EDA Additional Information
The Utah Office of Tourism assists Utah’s communities with destination development through training, technical assistance, and marketing assistance. These grant funds are not available to private sector (for profit) businesses.
NEW! EDA Grants Updates – March 2024
Round 1 Recipients:
Congratulations to the City of Green River, Juab & Millard County, Ogden-Weber CVB (Visit Ogden), and Tremonton City, the Round 1 recipients of the EDA ARPA Destination Development Grant. We commend your dedication and vision throughout this process. Expect the official contract via email soon. Please review it carefully before signing. Also, please note that the first semi-annual reporting period ends March 31st. A report for this period will not be required. The next reporting period will end on September 30th and your report will be due on October 11th. More information on the report to follow.
Round 2 Applications:
A total of 29 applications were submitted for Round 2. All are under review by the EDA, with an expected review completion by mid-April. Applicants are requested to provide their UEI number to [email protected] promptly. Visit sam.gov for UEI information. Non-Profit organizations in Round 2 have been asked to send their (1) Articles of Incorporation, (2) Bylaws, and (3) Certificate of Good Standing from the State to [email protected] as soon as possible.
Looking Forward:
Due to contract time constraints and EDA employee shortages, remaining ARPA funds will be redirected to a state-wide project benefiting all industry partners, eliminating Round 3. Details forthcoming.
We appreciate our partners’ support and patience amidst challenges. For inquiries, please contact [email protected].
View the UOT Webinar: EDA-ARPA Grants Round 2, recorded 7/31/23
Governor’s Office of Planning & Budget – Utah Funding Opportunities Portal
GOPB has developed a Funding Opportunities Portal to aggregate all state and selected funding opportunities into a centralized and easily searchable database. The primary target audience for this portal is all customers of the state, including: local governments, residents, and non-profit / for-profit organizations. Why was this portal created? Customers of the state often face a cumbersome process when seeking funding opportunities, where searches require visits to numerous websites for relevant information. Multiple state agencies and community partners maintain separate spreadsheets that duplicate the compilation of funding opportunities, which creates opportunity for errors and dissemination of outdated information. This project is in response to frequent requests for a unified tool that consolidates data into a single database.
Additional Resources For Private Sector Businesses
Be sure to check with the following federal, state agencies and organizations for resources – from the steps to creating, growing and expanding a business, access to capital, financial support for training, and revolving loan funds, there are myriad programs and initiatives to support the private sector:
US Small Business Administration – Utah District Office
US Economic Development Administration
Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity
Center for Rural Development
Business Incentives
Utah Small Business Credit Initiative
Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCU)
World Trade Center Utah
Utah Small Business Development Center
Utah Department of Commerce
Utah Department of Workforce Services
Utah State Tax Commission
Utah Association of Governments – check locally for the county’s AOG
Custom Fit Training – check individual technical colleges for Custom Fit program
Utah Tourism Industry Association
Utah Association of Counties – check individual county websites for Economic Development and Tourism programs and initiatives
Utah League of Cities and Towns – check individual city/town listings for Economic Development programs and initiatives
EDA Grants Contact:
Kevin Blomquist at [email protected], 435-899-9221
[email protected]
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