Visit Pensacola seeks grant recipients

Visit Pensacola has established a grant process to help local events with marketing dollars and ensure proper use of TDT funding.

The grant application, which can be found on the visitpensacola.org site is set in place to help local events with marketing dollars and to ensure proper use of TDT funds. This call is specific to events happening on or before December 31, 2017.

The TDC guides the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners in the administering of funds collected from a local option tourist development tax (“bed tax”) on occupied transient lodging sales, i.e. hotels/motels, campgrounds, and condominiums. The funds are designated to promote Escambia County as a preferred visitor destination with an emphasis on the shoulder season of late August through May.

Visit Pensacola allocates funds from its annual budget to a grant program for local groups and organizations that coordinate events or visitor experiences with a demonstrated history of visitor impact or significant potential to draw visitors to the area.

Steve Hayes, president of Visit Pensacola, said in a press release, “Ideally, the funds allocated by Visit Pensacola will eventually return through an increase in lodging sales and the tourist development tax generated from those sales. As well as an increase in spending throughout the community. We are looking forward to the second round of grant applications to support events in our area.”

The number and extent of these grants will be dependent upon the availability of designated funds and specific allocations. Funding is intended to support marketing and promotional efforts in key markets targeted by Visit Pensacola. The grants will be evaluated by a seven-member grant committee on Monday, August 21, at 2 p.m. in the Visit Pensacola Information Center conference room.

For more information or to apply for a grant, please visit, http://www.visitpensacola.org/page/grants/. For questions or guidance on application specifics, there will be a grant workshop held on Friday, August 11, 3 p.m. at the Pensacola Information Center with all applications being due on August 18.