WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. — Tourists in West Columbia fund the city’s accommodation tax grant that aims to help bring more visitors to the Midlands.
If you’ve ever stayed in a hotel in West Columbia your dollars helped fund this grant.
Non-profits and event organizers can apply for this money.
“The accommodation taxes are imposed when folks stay in hotels. It’s tacked onto their bills as a percentage. That money is collected from the guests that stay in hotels and it’s pooled together at the city,” West Columbia Mayor Tem Miles Jr. said.
Those who stay in hotels pay the accommodation tax to help draw more people to the Midlands through a grant program.
Nonprofits and event organizers looking to get a piece of the accommodation pie must use the money for tourism.
“And the requirement is the events that they’re putting on the events that are supported with that money had to be things that generate additional accommodation. They use it to put on events that bring people into town to help fill up hotels,” the Mayor said.
Organizations and nonprofits that received money in the past include Canoeing for Kids, EdVenture Children’s Museum, and the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden.
The Riverbanks Zoo said most of the $15,000 it received went to advertisements on things like billboards in nearby cities like Charlotte and Augusta.
“People in the Columbia area know the Riverbanks Zoo, but people in the outer area may have heard of it but not realize how close it is and how easy it is to access for them. We’re really trying to push out those markets coming to the Riverbanks here,” Matt Perron with the Riverbanks Zoo said.
Experience Columbia did the same thing placing advertisements in surrounding cities drawing more tourists to the Midlands.
“The biggest thing is our region is so unique and special because we have all of these different municipalities that each have something different to offer. And so when we are able to partner with these municipalities we’re able to showcase to the visitor a wider variety of things they can see and do,” Kelly Barbrey with Experience Columbia said.
Other organizations that benefited from the accommodation tax grant were the West Columbia Kinetic Derby Day and the Meeting Street Music Festival.
If you’d like to apply the deadline is April 5th for this upcoming fiscal year.