McKinney, Texas -- Visit McKinney is now accepting applications for its tourism grant program, designed to support events and initiatives that promote McKinney as a visitor destination.
"As the city’s tourism entity, we aim to boost the local economy by attracting visitor-related travel,” said Aaron Werner, Visit McKinney Executive Director. “These grants help organizations market projects that encourage overnight stays in McKinney hotels."
Each year, Visit McKinney allocates $30,000 in grant funding to qualifying applicants. Awards are determined by the Visit McKinney board based on state guidelines governing hotel tax use. Guidelines, applications, and additional requirements are available at VisitMcKinney.com/grants.
Key changes to the 2024-25 Tourism Grant Program
To better align with its mission of attracting visitors and generating hotel tax revenue, Visit McKinney has made significant updates to the grant process used in previous years:
- New Name: The program is now called the Visit McKinney Festival & Event HOT Funds Grant Program to distinguish it from other grants supporting sporting events and meetings/conferences.
- Rolling Application Period: Applications are now accepted year-round, subject to fund availability. Events must apply at least 90 days in advance. Requests for events occurring within 90 days will be considered only under extenuating circumstances.
- Streamlined Decision Process: Applicants now submit a presentation along with their application for initial review by the board’s Grant Committee. If approved, they will present to the full board at the next meeting, after which a funding decision will be made immediately.
- Hotel Room Night Requirement: A minimum of 25 booked room nights is now required to qualify for funding. The award amount increases based on the number of room nights secured.
Werner emphasized that these changes were made after careful research into best practices among similar tourism organizations across Texas. “To ensure we continue replenishing grant funds each year, we are placing a stronger focus on hotel room night requirements,” he explained. “For those unable to meet this requirement, other funding opportunities may be available from other McKinney entities.”
Additional considerations
The grant program follows the City of McKinney’s fiscal year (October 1–September 30). If an event falls within a new fiscal year, funding is contingent upon City Council approval of the budget, typically finalized in mid-to-late September. Visit McKinney staff will notify applicants once funding is confirmed.
Visit McKinney staff can assist grant recipients with coordination and tracking of hotel room blocks. For questions about grant eligibility and the application process that aren't answered for you on our website, please email our Executive Assistant at pmartin@visitmckinney.com or call 972-547-2058.
Photos of past funded events (Credit: Visit McKinney)
