Kody Melton for Boudro’s Texas Bistro
Texas will distribute additional federal pandemic recovery funds for travel- and tourism-related businesses.
The Texas Travel Industry Recovery Grant Program (TTIR) will begin taking applications this Wednesday for one-time grants of up to $20,000 to travel- and tourism-related businesses who suffered losses during the pandemic.
The program — signed into law in May — will administer $180 million in funds received under the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. It’s open to businesses in industries including the arts, entertainment, food service, recreation, tradeshows, conventions, breweries, wineries and distilleries, according to state officials.
The foodservice and hospitality industries were among the hardest-hit at the beginning of the COVID crisis, when many were forced to temporarily close. Though federal aid such as the Restaurant Revitalization Fund made it to some of those businesses, many were unable to access the money.
Recent data from the Independent Restaurant Coalition found that, in April of this year, more than half of independently owned restaurants and bars nationwide that didn’t receive grants said they expected to permanently close in the next six months.
The Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism will host a series of webinars for specific industry groups to provide more information on TTIR and answer questions about the application process.
Webinar information, as well as eligibility details, the application process and deadlines are available on the TTRI program’s website.
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