City Of Wenatchee Opens Application Period For Lodging Tax Grants

The City of Wenatchee is opening its application period for 2024 tourism grants.

The City is allocating $100,000 in funding to non-profits, lodging associations, chambers of commerce, destination marketing organizations, convention and visitors’ bureaus, and municipalities for tourism and tourism-related activities.

City Administrator, Laura Gloria, says the money is made available through tourism dollars taken in by the city.

"The funding comes from the tourism industry locally. It comes from taxes on our hotels and lodging locally. So we're using that money to sort of recirculate more room nights and stays, as well as investing locally in events that are of interest to the public."

Gloria says this is only the second year the City has made the tourism grants available.

"Last year was the first year that we did this and it was very successful, so we're doing it again. We spent most of the money last year on things like Rails & Ales, La Terraza de Main Street organized by the WVCC Hispanic Business Council, First Friday art events, and the Apple Cup through the Wenatchee Futbol Club was also paid for using some of these funds."

Applications will be reviewed and evaluated by the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee and Tourism Promotion Area Board.

Funding for any grants that are approved will distributed to the applicant on a reimbursement basis.