The City of Marfa's Historic Restoration and Preservation Grants program aims to bolster tourism and the hotel and convention industry in Marfa by funding projects and activities that enhance historical restoration and preservation. This grant is aligned with the city's mission to promote tourism, as it utilizes Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) revenue, which by state law must be used to directly promote tourism and the hotel and convention industry. The program specifically targets organizations, groups, and businesses engaged in preserving historic sites or museums, or promoting them to attract tourists.
The primary goal of this grant program is to generate overnight visitors to Marfa, thereby boosting the local economy through the hotel and convention industry. Projects that do not demonstrate the potential to generate meaningful hotel night activity are not eligible. The program's impact goals include enhancing the historical and cultural appeal of Marfa, increasing the number of tourists, and consequently, increasing HOT revenue for the city.
The program prioritizes events and entities based on their proven ability to attract overnight visitors. This can be demonstrated through historic data on room nights, current room block reservations, guest attendance surveys, or planned marketing strategies that target out-of-town guests. Furthermore, priority is given to organizations that utilize the Tourism/USO Building or Marfa Activity Center for their events. Applications are also evaluated on cultural and historic significance, organizational capacity, uniqueness and diversity, collaboration with other local organizations, and the appropriateness of the budget.
Expected outcomes include a measurable increase in tourism to Marfa, particularly in the number of overnight stays. Successful applicants are anticipated to contribute to the preservation of Marfa's historical and cultural heritage, making the city a more attractive destination for visitors. The grant program's strategic priority is to leverage the city's historical assets as a driver for economic growth through tourism. The underlying theory of change is that by investing in the restoration and promotion of historic sites, the City of Marfa can directly stimulate its tourism and hospitality sectors, leading to increased revenue and economic benefits for the community. Grants generally range from $2500 to $8000 to support these initiatives.
