Going the Distance with Travel and Tourism Grants

The team at GrantWatch knows travel is more than just a leisure activity, it’s essential for research, education, and cultural exchange. Travel Grants do things like help university students in fields like archaeology, folklore, and social sciences explore new locations, gather data, and expand their studies. Travel Grants also support the arts, like funding jazz musicians, French performers, and visual artists as they showcase their work around the world.

Just as important, Tourism Grants provide the funding that nonprofits and other organizations need to drive local economies through tourism. Tourism Grants can be used to maintain historic sites and sports venues, host festivals and cultural events, and build tourist attractions. This funding helps communities attract visitors, create jobs, and preserve their heritage. So you see, whether for research, the arts, or economic growth, these funding opportunities really go the distance to turn new possibilities into new realities.

GrantWatch has over 400 grants in its Travel and Tourism grant listing category. The following list was curated from active grants in that extensive collection.

Travel and Tourism Grants and Fellowships

1. Support Performances and Festivals Abroad!

Travel grants up to $15,000 to artists and artist ensembles to participate in public performances, festivals, and presentations abroad. The funding will be for performances at festivals or other engagements overseas, or to participate in artistic collaborations. Eligible performance arts include dance, music, and theater.

2. Doctorate Degrees for Research Projects!

Grants and fellowships up to $6,500 to researchers with doctorate degrees for non-commercial research expenses. Grant funds support laboratory research expenses, fieldwork costs, travel to archives and libraries, and the purchase of research materials. Fellowships research in the archives and libraries of London and Edinburgh for humanities and social sciences.

3. Grants to Nonprofits for Visual Arts Project Research!

Up to $50,000 to nonprofits for visual arts project research. The funding is for an original contribution to the field of contemporary visual arts. Special consideration will be for projects focusing on understudied topics and artists whose practices are experimental, hard to categorize, and otherwise less well known to the general public.

4. Works of French Musicians!

Grants up to $10,000 to nonprofits to present works of French musicians in the U.S. The funding is for the creation, recording, and presentation of new artistic works, as well as pre-planned touring projects arranged for exhibit in U.S. venues.

5. Music Performances and Tours!

Travel grants for musicians to support jazz music performances and tours. The funding assists new and established musicians, including both solo artists and ensembles. The purpose of the program is to advance the careers of jazz musicians. Priority consideration will be for projects that reach underserved communities and rural areas, especially those lacking live jazz music opportunities.

6. Cultivate Cultural Tourism!

Grants to eligible nonprofits, government agencies, and academic institutions to promote local folklore and cultivate enhanced local cultural tourism. The program recognizes folklife, legends, and folktales by identifying important cultural sites with unique markers. The funding covers the expenses for equipment like identifying markers and poles and shipping costs. The program’s goal is to promote cultural tourism and commemorate legends and folklore as part of local heritage.

7. Present New Works to New Audiences!

Grants to nonprofit dance companies and choreographers to create and present new dance productions to new audience populations. The funding will be for production and touring costs for the new dance productions.

8. Field Research in the Humanities!

Grants to nonprofits, IHEs, government agencies, and tribal governments for field research in the humanities. The funding supports research projects utilizing archaeological and/or ethnographic methods to answer significant humanities research questions.

9. Promote Local Tourism!

Up to $20,000 to eligible nonprofits and municipalities to promote local tourism. The funding will be for marketing, product development, and projects to attract visitors and overnight stays. Project funding is for festivals, outdoor theater, website redesigns, museum exhibits, and musical performances. In addition, large-scale and high-profile events, marketing campaigns, art installations, guided tours, and exhibits.

10. Cultural Activities to Enhance Local Tourism!

Grants to nonprofits, civic leagues, and social welfare organizations for arts projects and cultural activities. Funding is for promotion or production of projects for the arts or for cultural events. Arts projects or cultural events include music, drama, dance, creative writing and poetry, architecture and landscape design, painting, and sculpture. Arts projects or cultural events will also include photography, graphics, craft and folk art, film video, and historical, heritage, and educational festivals.

11. Promote Tourism!

Grants to nonprofits and public agencies for programs promoting local tourism. The funding is for festivals, cultural activities, and special events, or to operate tourism facilities. The goal of the program is to expand tourism activities and events to enhance local tourism. The purpose of the program is to further the tourism and cultural environment. Projects will promote cultural diversity, support cultural investment, and create new opportunities for tourism and cultural enrichment. Cultural activities will include sports, arts, street/park festivals, film, culinary, and music.

12. Events to Attract More Visitors!

Grants to nonprofits for events and programs promoting local tourism. The funding areas to assist local organizations to attract visitors and develop tourism projects includes festivals, events, attractions, sports, and chambers of commerce. Special consideration will be for organizations debuting first-time events. Priority consideration will be for applicants who include minority-owned and/or small business entities in their projects. Local vendors will be used unless a particular service or material is not locally available.

13. Enhance the Quality of Life for Residents!

Up to $2,000 to nonprofits to strengthen local tourism and enhance the quality of life for residents. The funding supports activities and programs that address special events, tourism promotion and facilities, beautification of public spaces, and downtown development. The objective is to provide funding to organizations and agencies undertaking vital activities that would not otherwise be considered for funding.

14. Promote Local Tourism Opportunities!

Grants up to $7,500 to eligible organizations to promote opportunities to address local tourism. The funding is for tourism projects and events to attract overnight visitors and result in the expanded use of local lodging facilities. Priority consideration will be for events that have at least a two-day duration. These funds will be for tourist promotion, support, and special event operations. The funding will also be for the acquisition and/or maintenance of tourism facilities.

15. Capital Projects to Expand Local Tourism!

Grants to nonprofits and local government agencies for capital projects to increase tourism. The purpose of the program is to increase overnight lodging in local hotels and motels. The program’s goal is to enhance and expand local tourism. As mandated by legislative action, the following development, expansion, and improvement projects qualify for funding: sports venues, convention facilities, arts venues, tourist attractions, parks, and colleges and universities.

16. Enhance Local Tourism Infrastructure and Activities!

Up to $5,000 to nonprofits to promote tourism. The funding is for programs and services to enhance local tourism opportunities and benefit the local hospitality industry, as well as the general economy. Examples of qualifying programs: annual events established to support local tourism infrastructure; capital campaigns; and challenge grants. In addition, the Fund will consider grants spread over a period of years and seek collaboration between nonprofits, community groups and hospitality businesses.

Final Note

Hopefully, there are travel and tourism grants that will be of help to your program and for the community!

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