The Chattanooga Tourism Co. announces that 26 local Arts, Culture & Heritage (CHA) partners were awarded a total of $302.5K through the inaugural Cultural Tourism Advancement Grant. The first round of the Grant was highly competitive with 45 applicants requesting a total of $1.5 million in assistance for events, enhancements, exhibits and more, officials said. 

“We are excited to help build our community by supporting our partners through our first CTA Grant,” said Barry White, CEO, Chattanooga Tourism Co. “Tourism is a critical economic driver for Hamilton County. These funds provide an opportunity to collaborate with our partners in developing and promoting experiences that drive visitor demand and ultimately enhance the lifestyles of our residents.” 

The 2021 CTA Grant was awarded to the following organizations:  

1. Adventure Sports Innovation 
2. Art 120 
3. Association for Visual Arts 
4. Barking Legs Theater 
5. Bessie Smith Cultural Center 
6. Chatt Taste Food Tours 
7. Chattanooga Ballet, Inc. 
8. Chattanooga Theatre Centre 
9. Chattanooga Zoo 
10. Creative Discovery Museum 
11. Friends of the Festival, Inc. 
12. Houston Museum of Decorative Arts 
13. Hunter Museum of American Art 
14. National Park Partners 
15. Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center 
16. River City Company 
17. Sculpture Fields at Montague Park 
18. Songbirds Foundation 
19. Stove Works  
20. Tennessee Aquarium  
21. The Chattanooga Symphony and Opera Association 
22. The Chattery 
23. The Ed Johnson Project 
24. Tivoli Theatre Foundation 
25. Townsend Atelier 
26. WanderLinger Brewing Company 

The Tourism Co. developed the CTA Grant with funds from lodging taxes paid by visitors when spending the night in Hamilton County, not Hamilton County taxpayers. It was designed to support and enhance a wide range of tourism-related projects that would increase brand awareness for Chattanooga, drive visitor demand, and support the Tourism Co.’s mission of developing visitor experiences that enhance the economic and social prosperity of Hamilton County.  

Organizations were able to request up to 10 percent of their total operating budget, with a maximum of $50K. In awarding funds, greatest consideration was given to a project/program’s ability to attract diverse audiences, create economic impact, encourage visitors to travel to or extend their stay in Hamilton County, enhance the visitor experience, collaborate with other local organizations/artists and improve our quality of life. 

Mr. White added, “Every community needs to compete with every other community for their share of the world’s attention, customers, ideas, and investment. New and innovative experiences result in new opportunities for our residents and help keep our product fresh and our destination top of mind for visitors. We are excited to see the impact of these investments with our partners.”