The outside sign at the Union Hotel in De Pere. (WTAQ/Casey Nelson)
MADISON, WI (WTAQ) – Governor Tony Evers announced over $18 million in COVID-19 Lodging Grants that will be awarded to 663 lodging operators in the state. The grants aim to provide stabilization to Wisconsin’s lodging industry as it continues to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2019, visitors to the state spent $3.7 billion on lodging. But recent surveys by the Wisconsin Hotel and Lodging Association indicated that nearly half of Wisconsin hotel and lodging properties will close within six months without loan or grant assistance.
Grantees were awarded an average of approximately $350 per eligible room in Wisconsin.
“The folks in our hotel and lodging industry have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic as folks have reduced their travel this year to help stop the spread of the virus,” Evers said in a press release. “The tourism industry will be core to our state’s economic bounce back, and these funds will help provide some economic stabilization now so visitors [can] enjoy their favorite destinations later.”
The funding is being provided through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and administered through the Wisconsin Department of Administration.
“The economic recovery for many Wisconsin communities depends largely on the tourism and lodging industries,” DOA Secretary Joel Brennan said. “By injecting these funds into local lodging and tourism partners, we hope to provide a lifeline and some stabilization to local economies, businesses and jobs.”
More information about the grant program can be found here. A full list of grant winners is available here.
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