JEFFERSON CITY— State Sen. Wayne Wallingford, R-Cape Girardeau, today announced the Missouri Division of Tourism has awarded grants to the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce and the City of Sikeston to help fund performance-driven projects designed to increase visitation to the 27th District. Each dollar of state funding will be matched with a dollar of local funds.

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce received $44,330, while the City of Sikeston was awarded $11,965. The funds will be used to promote tourism in the region, a critical part of local economies.

Senator Wallingford also noted how important tourism is to the state as a whole.

“We welcome around 38 million visitors to our state every year. Those tourists shop in local stores, stay at local hotels, and eat at local restaurants. That money stays within our communities and fosters growth and expansion. Those dollars are an incredible boost to our economy,” said Sen. Wallingford. “I’m happy to see the Division of Tourism continue to play a proactive role in bringing visitors to our state and grateful to see it support local efforts in the 27th District.”

Tourism continues to rank as one of the most important revenue- and job-producing industries in Missouri. According to the division, the industry has created more than 285,000 jobs for Missouri residents and has a $14.6 billion economic impact on the state, and a $1.3 billion impact on state and local tax revenues.

The matching funds may be used for media advertising as well as investment in an approved tourism marketing platform to attract additional visitors and boost spending in Missouri.

For more information on the Promote Missouri Fund Program, contact the Division of Tourism at (573) 751-3246 or (573) 526-1551.