If your business is hoping to garner financial support from the City of Brownsville’s Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (CVB) Hotel and Motel Tax Revenue program, then you have until July 16, 2023, to submit your application. The CVB launched the application program on June 19th and will close the application acceptance on Sunday. The Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) program is aimed at supporting the showcasing of attractions and programs that promote the City of Brownsville as a tourist destination for both leisure and business.

“We have received a healthy number of submissions for funding from the HOT program and this is a good thing as we want to support local venues, associations, and business partners that help us further promote Brownsville as a tourist destination,” said Dafne Maldonado, Director of the Brownsville Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and Office of Space Commerce. “We look forward to supporting our partners with funding to feature Brownsville as a vibrant, family-friendly, and economically sound One City.”

The City of Brownsville aligns with section 35.101 of the State of Texas statute, which stipulates that Hotel and Motel Tax revenue must be used to promote tourism, the convention industry, and the hotel industry.

Expenditures of HOT funds must align with authorized categories specified by the statute and these include:

A. Constructing, improving, enlarging, equipping, repairing, operating, and maintaining a convention center or visitor information center;

B. Paying the administrative costs for facilitation of convention registration;

C. Advertising and conducting promotional programs to attract tourists and convention delegates or registrants;

D. Encouragement, promotion, improvement and application of the arts;

E. Funding historical restoration or preservation programs;

F. Funding certain expenses, including promotional expenses, directly related to a sporting event within counties with a population of under one million;

 G. Funding the enhancement and upgrading of existing sports facilities or sports fields for certain municipalities;

H. Signage directing the public to sights and attractions that are visited frequently by hotel guests in the municipality.

These details outline the requirements to qualify for HOT program funds. In addition, an applicant must be from entities that are non-profits and businesses whose programs or events meet the criteria.

“We want to encourage businesses and entities that meet this criteria to apply for HOT funds, as we are all invested in promoting the City of Brownsville as a tourist destination and maybe even a new home relocation event,” said Malinalli Montesam, Tourism Coordinator.

Those interested in applying must do so today. The weblink to access the City of Brownsville Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Hotel and Motel Tax Revenue pogram application may be found at https://visitbtx.com/hotfundrequests/.

For more information regarding this matter, please contact the Brownsville Convention and Visitors Bureau at [email protected], Ms. Maldonado at (956) 538-1956 or Ms. Montesam at (956) 538-2284.