The City of Travelers Rest is accepting applications for the Accommodations Tax Grant Program to promote tourism.
Donor Name: City of Travelers Rest
State: South Carolina
City: Travelers Rest
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/26/2023
Details:
Accommodations Tax Grants are provided to eligible projects through revenue received by the City for its share of the 2% lodging tax levied by the State of South Carolina. These monies can only be used for activities related to tourism in the following categories:
- Advertising and promotion of tourism so as to develop and increase tourist attendance through the generation of publicity
- Promotion of the arts and cultural events
- Construction, maintenance and operation of facilities for civic and cultural activities including construction and maintenance of access and the nearby roads and utilities for the facilities
- The criminal justice system, law enforcement, fire protection, solid waste collection and health facilities when required to serve tourists and tourist facilities. This is based on the estimated percentage of cost directly attributed by tourist
- Public facilities such as restrooms, dressing rooms, parks, and parking lots
- Tourist shuttle transportation
- Control and repair of waterfront erosion, including beach re-nourishment
- The operating of visitor information centers.
In accordance with the South Carolina code of laws, the City has established an accommodations tax fund to be used for tourism-related expenditures or used to provide additional municipal services that would enhance the city’s tourism-related infrastructure and facilities. For this reason, it is the intent of the City of Travelers Rest to provide funding to organizations that seek to promote tourism.
Funding Priorities
As required by the South Carolina Accommodation Tax Law, projects must attract visitors to the City of Travelers Rest. Priority also will be given to unique projects that:
- Generate additional tourism-related tax dollars within the City of Travelers Rest
- Promote dining at restaurants in the City of Travelers Rest
- Generate overnight stays in City of Travelers Rest lodging facilities
- Construct new or enhance existing recreation facilities to include amenities and trails
- Promote and highlight the City of Travelers Rest’s historic and cultural venues, recreational facilities, trails and events, and the uniqueness of the local community
- Advertise and promote tourism so as to develop and increase tourist attendance through the generation of publicity
- Promote arts and cultural events
- Demonstrate additional government or private sector funding is available to the project in an amount at least matching the grant amount (1 to 1 match)
- Facilitate the acquisition, final-stage design, construction, repair, renovation, rehabilitation, or other capital improvements of historic and cultural venues, recreational facilities, and trails.
Eligibility Criteria
Organizations and/or events that meet the following criteria are eligible to apply for accommodations tax grants:
- The organization must be in good standing with City and without outstanding debt obligations to the City
- All projects and/or events must occur within the Travelers Rest city limits
- If funding is provided for a facility, the facility must be open to the public
- If funding is provided for an event, the event must be marketed and open to the public
- Grantee organizations may not re-grant Accommodations Tax funds to other organizations (all funds must be spent on the project or event specified in the grant application by the organization that is awarded the funds).
- The event or promotional opportunity must demonstrate a significant economic/cultural impact as it relates to tourism.
For more information, visit City of Travelers Rest.
