Tourism Product Development Grant Program 2026 (New York)

The Chautauqua County is seeking applications for its Tourism Product Development Grant Program.

Donor Name: Chautauqua County

State: New York

County: Chautauqua County (NY)

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline: 10/01/2025

Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000

Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned

Details:

Projects funded through this program should help to catalyze Chautauqua County as a place to visit and/or improve the likelihood of repeat visits and overnight stays. Applicants must demonstrate clear evidence for how the project will provide a public benefit; funds are not intended for facility maintenance or long-term operational costs. Proposals should include a clearly defined follow-up plan and demonstrate measurable outcomes.

Funding Categories

Events: Funding is available for the creation or expansion of tourism-focused events that enhance the visitor experience and draw attendance from outside of the immediate area.
- New or Significantly Enhanced Events:
  - Support for first-time events or the major expansion of existing events with demonstrable improvements in scale, scope, or quality.
- Thematic Event Development:
  - Events centered on specific tourism themes such as agritourism, cultural heritage, outdoor recreation, or other niche visitor interests.
- Event Planning and Feasibility:
  - Funding may be used for planning activities, feasibility studies, and/or pilot program’s that explores the development of a new tourism generating event.
Marketing: Support is available for targeted marketing initiatives designed to attract new visitors, extend stays, and increase overall tourism impact in Chautauqua County.
- Niche Market Campaigns:
  - Marketing efforts which define visitor segments such as food and beverage tourists, cultural travelers, sports enthusiasts, or heritage travelers.
- Weekend Warriors, Group Tours & Outdoor Recreation:
  - Campaigns designed to promote short getaway trips, group experiences, or outdoor adventure offerings.
- Strategic Market Expansion:
  - Initiatives that complement or build on existing destination marketing strategies, with an emphasis on expanding reach or deepening engagement in priority markets.
Placemaking: Support for projects that improve the visitor appeal and functionality of public spaces, tourism assets, and destination infrastructure.
- Asset-Based Development:
  - Projects that capitalize on unique local features—natural, cultural, or historical—with the intent to improve, promote, or activate a destination or shared space.
- Planning, Design & Management:
  - Funding for professional services such as conceptual designs, wayfinding planning, interpretive planning, or public space management to enhance the visitor experience or environment.
- Attraction Development or Enhancement:
  - Capital or programmatic investment in the creation, expansion, or substantial improvement of a tourism attraction or destination feature.