NEWS RELEASE
COUNTY OF SIMCOE
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The County of Simcoe is accepting applications for its 2022 Tourism, Culture and Sport Enhancement Fund until Feb. 28. This year, County Council has allocated $300,000 to help fund projects or experiences that will benefit regional tourism, culture and sport.
“The Tourism, Culture and Sports sector has been one of hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and County Council is pleased to be able to provide $300,000 of additional support for our local partners through this year’s Tourism, Culture and Sport Enhancement Fund,” said Warden George Cornell.
“Simcoe County is a premier destination to live, work and play. These funds will assist local organizations to showcase our area, boost our local economy, and help this important industry with its continued recovery.”
The Tourism, Culture and Sport Enhancement Fund has been adapted this year to focus on project enhancement. Applicants must show that their initiative is sustainable without funding, and that any funding obtained would serve to increase or improve the value, quality, desirability, or attractiveness of the proposed initiative in order to increase visitation to Simcoe County.
Two new funding streams have also been added, including Main Street Enhancement and Sports Tourism. The funding allows each applicant organization to apply for a maximum of $20,000. These funds will support and enhance tourism, culture and sport in Simcoe County by:
- Investing in initiatives that promote awareness, access, participation and appreciation of the diverse tourism, culture and sport offerings within the County of Simcoe
- Encouraging industry collaboration and partnerships
- Enhancing the visitor experience by supporting innovative and accessible programming
- Building organizational capacity in tourism, culture and sport organizations
- Contributing to the County of Simcoe’s overall economic health and sense of place
Interested applicants are asked to submit their forms by Monday, Feb. 28, 2022 at 4:30 p.m. Applications will be accepted for photo and/or video production, storytelling, product and/or experience development, marketing, event enhancement, operator engagement, capacity-building activities, cycling infrastructure, tourism wayfinding signage, and more.
All applications will be reviewed by the County of Simcoe’s Grants Task Force, consisting of appointed County Councillors with support from County staff. The funding will be divided among successful applicants based on program requirements, objectives and overall benefit to the entire region.
Details and application guidelines can be found at www.experience.simcoe.ca/resources. Potential applicants can contact the County’s Tourism staff via email, at [email protected] with questions.
About Tourism Simcoe County
The mission of Tourism Simcoe County (TSC) is to promote Simcoe County as a first-class destination by further developing the tourism industry and community partnerships. Through product and experience development, marketing, workforce development and investment attraction initiatives, TSC continues to provide tourism leadership throughout Simcoe County.
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