A new grant opportunity is now available to help communities develop or enhance tourism attractions to boost their local economies.

According to Kansas Governor Laura Kelly’s office, the grant program is the Tourism Attraction Sub-grants for Kansas (TASK) program available through the Kansas Tourism Department. The program offers funding support for public and not-for-profit groups to pursue new or improved tourism attractions, with a total of $1.5 million available. TASK is funded by the American Rescue Plan U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation state grants.

Projects to be funded by TASK would bring new visitors to Kansas, such as museums; sports facilities; sites of natural or cultural significance; significant permanent exhibits; unique or destination-type lodging; conference centers; trails; outdoor activities that spur visitation; destination retail; and others tied to the tourism industry.

The TASK grant application process opens Friday, January 14, 2022, with a March 11, 2022, deadline for submission. Grant awardees will be announced on May 2, 2022. For more information, please visit https://www.travelks.com/travel-industry/programs-and-resources/grants/ or contact Kansas Tourism grant program manager Taylor Hartshorn at [email protected].