Terre Haute lands new ‘Open for Tourism’ funding
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An initiative designed to help Terre Haute businesses prepare for increased tourism has secured additional funding, the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce said Tuesday. The Open for Tourism program is preparing to award more funding as businesses gear up for new gaming-related tourism and events surrounding the 2024 solar eclipse.
The program was launched in 2020 in partnership with Launch Terre Haute the Indiana Small Business Development Center and the city of Terre Haute.
The chamber said increased tourism from the new Terre Haute Convention Center, as well as the currently under construction Terre Haute Casino Resort, set to open next March, created a need to prepare businesses for an influx of guests.
Businesses eligible for the program include for-profit eating and drinking establishments, retail shops, and service providers.
Open for Tourism provides businesses chosen for the program services, including one-on-one consultation with subject matter experts, training on online presence on consumer search sites like Google, and online targeted marketing, among others.
“The Open for Tourism program has provided help to prepare our businesses for the flourishing tourism sector,” Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce Director of Community Engagement Josh Alsip said in a news release. “By bettering experiences for Terre Haute visitors, we will help increase our population and per capita income, as laid out in the See You In Terre Haute Community Plan.”
In January, the Terre Haute Convention and Visitors Bureau said it collected $2.8 million from the county’s 8% innkeepers tax, and officials expect to surpass the $3 million mark in 2023.
The chamber said any business that meets the program’s requirements and is chosen for the program is eligible for consultation services and service provider funding. However, only businesses that are members of the chamber will be eligible for business development funding.
You can learn more about the program by clicking here.