(Lincoln, Neb.) Gov. Dave Heineman awarded 31 tourism marketing grants totaling more than $136,000 to tourism groups across the state to help promote local events.

"Nebraska has a great deal to offer but sometimes we're too timid about promoting our communities and events," Gov. Heineman said. "Tourism is Nebraska's third largest industry and my hope is that these grants will help to promote communities and events of all sizes as we continue to reach out and encourage economic vitality across the state."

The grants are provided each year through lodging tax revenues and administered by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development's (DED) Travel and Tourism Division. Nearly 70 applications requesting more than $460,000 were submitted for consideration.

Dan Curran, DED tourism director said, "The number of applications received this year shows that tourism is increasingly important to local economies and Nebraska's economic development goals. This grant program is an effective partnership between the Tourism Division and local tourism groups."

Recipients of this year's tourism marketing grants include:

Artists of Eastern Nebraska--$6,600 for promoting studio tours

Bellevue Chamber of Commerce--$4,000 for RiverFest brochure

Box Butte Tourism Committee--$3,880 for marketing brochure

Chase County Tourism--$8,995 for Open Country Adventures trade show attendance

City of Pawnee--$2,200 for Pawnee tourism brochure

Columbus Convention & Visitors Bureau--$2,510 for website development

Greater Omaha Convention & Visitors Bureau--$3,000 for county image campaign

Hamilton County Foundation--$2,000 for "FAMFest" brochure

Harlan County Tourism--$2,000 for map project

Hastings Museum--$5,650 for marketing "A-Maze-Ing" exhibit

Highway 14 Association--$6,270 for group tour marketing project

Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha--$6,000 for Russia's Age of Elegance Exhibit

Kearney Visitors Bureau--$4,215 for trade show displays and attendance

Kimball Tourism Committee--$3,500 for Four Winds Golf promotion

Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha--$8,720 for Iowa target market campaign

Lincoln County Convention & Visitors Bureau--$3,420 for trade show display panels

Loess Hills Resource Conservation District--$7,900 for "It's More Than Lewis & Clark" CD project

Loup Basin Resource Conservation District--$6,900 for CD project and $4,730 for Junk Jaunt

Mullen Commercial Club--$2,200 for Sandhills canoe project

Nebraska Humanities Council--$2,420 for Key Ingredients exhibit

Nebraska State Quilt Guild--$6,910 for Threads Across Nebraska ad

NEBRASKAland Days, Inc.--$2,000 for NEBRASKAland Days radio ads

Northeast Nebraska Resource Conservation District--$3,500 for promoting "Visit Shannon Trail"

Ord Chamber of Commerce--$8,000 for "ExtORDinary Days"

Panhandle Resource Conservation District--$2,170 for intertribal gathering

Petrified Wood Gallery in Ogallala--$3,440 for Cowboy Capital Art Festival

Sandy Dennis Foundation of Hastings--$3,300 for Sandy Dennis Festival brochure

Stuhr Museum Foundation in Grand Island--$2,000 for "I Love Stuhr" radio promotion

Tilden Prairie Days Committee--$4,330 for Prairie Days Celebration

York Convention & Visitors Bureau--$3,500 for trade show display panels

CONTACT
Terri Teuber, Gov.'s Office, 402-471-1967
Mary Ethel Emanuel, DED, 402-471-3797