HONESDALE, PA — Grants of up to $2,000 may be awarded for the marketing of any tourism-related initiative sponsored by an entity located within Wayne County that submits a completed application by March 1.

The grants are funded by revenues from the Hotel Room Excise Tax (which is set at 3% in Wayne) and coordinated by the Pocono Mountain Vacation Bureau (PMVB), which serves five northeastern counties. The bulk of the collections are retained by PMVB and is its main revenue stream, providing $7.2 million this past year.

The commissioners last March approved 14 grants of annual hotel excise tax-funded grants for out-of-county advertising of events likely to prompt overnight visitor stays within the county.

As The River Reporter reported earlier, the tax is collected by the counties, which takes a 4% administrative charge, and passes the rest on to PMVB, which sets aside a grant pool to include 20% of the first $500,000 collected.

The amount returning to Wayne for grants in past averaged about $80,000 annually, Commissioners chief clerk Vicky Botjer said in December.

Applications must demonstrate how the tourism industry within Wayne County will be enhanced. Due to the adoption of Act 18 in 2016, the promotion program has changed.

According to the County Commissioners’ Association of PA, those Act 18 changes call for grants to be issued by PMVB to require a cash or in-kind local match of at least 25%. Further, grants may not be used for signage that promotes a specific private entity in the area of that entity, unless the sign also carries the recognized logo of the PMVB.

New applications need to contain a detailed budget to include the vendor/advertiser name, anticipated cost or estimate, dates of potential advertisement placement, or a detailed description of the applicant’s plan in order to be considered. PMVB will pay the vendors directly instead of reimbursing the organization that is sponsoring the event.             

Despite the weather cancellation of the commissioners’ February 9 meeting, the grant announcement was released. Program guidelines and application forms can be downloaded at www.waynecounty pa.gov or in person from the commissioners’ office.