City of Kemah HOT Sponsorships 2025

The City of Kemah's Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) Sponsorship Program offers funding to organizations for events that directly enhance and promote tourism, as well as the convention and hotel industry within the city. This initiative is designed to align with the city's mission to stimulate economic growth through increased visitor traffic, ensuring that the local hospitality sector benefits from funded activities. The program's core objective is to utilize Hotel/Motel Tax funds to support endeavors that bring tangible advantages to Kemah's tourism landscape. To be eligible for funding, applications must satisfy a two-part criterion. Firstly, the "heads in beds" test requires that every funded project or event must demonstrably attract overnight tourists to Kemah's hotels and motels, thereby directly bolstering the city's lodging industry. This ensures that the grant funds are utilized in a manner that directly contributes to the program's primary goal of promoting the city's hotel industry. The target beneficiaries are primarily the hotels, motels, and businesses within the tourism sector in Kemah, with the ultimate impact goal of increasing their revenue and overall economic vitality. Secondly, the project or event must fall into one of nine statutorily authorized categories. These categories include convention and visitor centers/registration, advertising the city, promotion of the arts, historical restoration and preservation, sporting events in counties under one million in population, enhancing or upgrading existing sports facilities or fields (in certain cities), tourist transportation systems, and signage directing the public to frequently visited sights and attractions. These categories represent the key priorities and focuses of the grant program, ensuring that diverse aspects of tourism and community enrichment are supported. The expected outcomes and measurable results of the program include a measurable increase in hotel occupancy rates, a rise in the number of overnight tourists, and an enhancement of Kemah's reputation as a tourist destination. By funding projects aligned with these categories, the city aims to create a vibrant tourism ecosystem that benefits both visitors and local businesses. The City of Kemah's strategic priority is to maximize the economic benefits derived from the Hotel/Motel Tax through targeted investments in tourism promotion and infrastructure. The theory of change behind this program is that by providing financial support to events and projects that directly attract overnight visitors and enhance tourist experiences, the city will foster sustainable growth in its tourism and hotel industries.