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City of Duluth announces tourism tax applications now open

[Duluth. MN] The City of Duluth has opened the application process for tourism tax allocations. The online application will be open from July 13, 2022 until August 12, 2022.

The application process was implemented in 2017 as a way to improve transparency on how allocations are made. This formalized process has improved the City’s ability to better understand the need for tourism dollars while allowing organizations the opportunity to apply for funding and requiring past recipients to report back on that funding’s impact. Before implementing the application process, there was no formal process requiring financials, impact, or organizational plan to show how the funds would be used or the impact that the funds would have on the Duluth community.

“Since launching the formalized tourism tax application process several years ago, our community has not only seen a broader depth in investment of these public dollars, but we have also increased transparency and better understanding for how these dollars get spent and how they contribute to our community,” Mayor Emily Larson said. “I am eager once again to dive into this process and further advance this tourism economy.”

“If there’s one thing that’s abundantly clear about the tourism industry, it’s that the partners within it care a great deal about this city, its residents, and its many visitors,” Senior Economic Developer Tricia Hobbs said. “This is an opportunity for organizations to tell their story. To tell the community what you do, why you do it, and how your work supports our tourism industry. I would encourage all qualified entities to look into this application process."

Tourism taxes generally support over 20 Duluth attractions each year. Funding recommendations are anticipated to be brought before the City Council and are pending their approval.

Interested applicants can apply via the following link:

https://forms.duluthmn.gov/Forms/tourism-tax

Past recipients of previous tourism tax allocations will need to click both “Submit a Request” and “Submit a Report”. Qualified applicants who have not previously received tourism tax allocations will need to click “Submit a Request”.

Applications are due no later than August 12, 2022.

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