The Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity or DCEO and the Office of Tourism have announced a 1.9 million dollar grant for two tourism grant programs.  These programs are put in place in an effort to increase tourism around Illinois. The Tourism Attraction Grant will help develop new and existing tourism attractions. 16 organizations were given funding and nearly four times the amount of requests was received than the actual available funding. The Tourism Private Sector Grant Program was also given out that will help attract major new events to the state.  This was given to 7 applicants.

For the Tourism Attraction Grant, some of the organizations included the Holocaust Memorial Foundation of Illinois, The Hoogland Center for the Arts which will support the current HVAC project to replace systems that are failing to cool the building in the summer months. Friends of Wildlife Prairie Park in Peoria and Timber Lake Playhouse in Carroll County will also receive grants. The Western Illinois Tourism Development which will upgrade kiosks and signs on the Great River Road National Scenic Byway will receive a grant as well along with the City of Litchfield who will use the grant to renovate Lake Lou Yaeger Recreational Area.

For the Tourism Private sector Grant Program, Illinois South Tourism will receive a grant for the Nascar K & N Pro and IndyCar series doubleheader at Gateway Motorsports, and the Illinois Agricultural Resource Council in Decatur. The Resource Council hosts Women in Agriculture Entrepreneurs from across the State of Illinois at Nelson Park in Decatur. The grant will be used to supplement ticket sales to cover costs for the two-day event.

For more information on these grants visit www.enjoyillinois.com.