Financial help coming for tourism, travel, and hospitality industries

MCALLEN, Texas – State Sen. Juan Hinojosa is inviting businesses in the tourism, travel, and hospitality industries in South Texas to apply for grants provided to the State of Texas under the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

The grants are available through the Texas Travel Industry Recovery Grant Program (TTIR). This program was established by the Legislature with the passage of Senate Bill 8, which Hinojosa co-authored.

“This bill allotted $ 180 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to be awarded to businesses in the tourism, travel, and hospitality industries across Texas,” Hinojosa said.

“Applicants in the following industries are eligible for a one-time grant of up to $ 20,000: arts, entertainment, and recreation; food services and drinking places; traveler accommodation; RV parks and recreational camps; traveler arrangement and reservation services; convention and trade show organizers; breweries; wineries; and distilleries. ”

Hinojosa urged municipalities and the media to share this information with those in our communities who may be eligible to apply for the grants.

Gov. Greg Abbott said the $ 180 million was received from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The purpose of the TTIR program, he explained, is to provide grants for the recovery of Texas businesses in the tourism, travel, and hospitality industry that were negatively impacted by COVID-19.

On Tuesday, Abbott and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism announced applications under the TTIR program are now being accepted.

“Travel and tourism is a critical component to both the state and local economies,” Abbott said. “Visitor spending at Texas destinations brings new money into communities and spurs local job creation across industries in every region of the state. After a decade of record expansion where 1 in 10 Texas jobs were supported by tourism, the travel industry was among the hardest hit by the pandemic. While direct travel spending in Texas is recovering at a faster rate than national averages, allocating these grant funds paves the way for a more prosperous, brighter future for all Texas communities. ”

Abbott said the TTIR program application requires all applicants to submit supporting documents along with their application to demonstrate compliance with grant and eligibility requirements.

Meanwhile, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism will host a series of webinars for specific industry groups to provide more information and answer questions on the application process and the TTIR program. Here are the details:

  • Breweries, Wineries, Distilleries, Travel Arrangement & Reservation Services, Convention & Trade Show Organizers, and RV Parks & Recreational Camps Webinar – Tuesday, July 12, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm, CT
  • Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation Webinar – Thursday, July 21, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm, CT
  • Traveler Accommodation Webinar – Thursday, August 11, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm, CT
  • Food Services and Drinking Places Webinar – Thursday, September 1, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm, CT

To register for the webinars and for eligibility and grant application details, deadlines, and more, visit: https://ttir.gov.texas.gov

The Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism is tasked with marketing and promoting the state of Texas as a premier business location and travel destination.


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