Tourism Promotion Area (TPA) Funding
The TPA hotel fee was created to provide targeted funding to help Spokane County compete with other cities to gain overnight visitors.
TPA Grants 2023 – 2024
As we continue to recover from the pandemic and adjust to the new Interlocal agreement between Spokane County (unincorporated) and the City of Spokane, the Spokane Hotel and Motel TPA Commission has opted to hold on Event Grants through 2024. The Commission will revisit event grants once we understand how TPA revenue will stabilize. We anticipate 2025, however please check this page Q3/4 of 2024 for updated information.
TPA Meeting Notice
BEFORE THE SPOKANE HOTEL AND MOTEL COMMISSION
IN THE MATTER OF CALLING THE SPECIAL MEETING | NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by the Spokane Hotel and Motel Commission (“Commission”), pursuant to the provisions of RCW 42.30.080, that a Special Meeting will be held by the Commission on Thursday, April 20th, 2023, commencing at 3:00 PM. This meeting will be held in the GSI First floor Conference Room, 801 W Riverside, Spokane, WA 99201. Enter the building on Post Street.
The purpose of the meeting will be:
- Discuss possible assessment increase to $5 per night – process and timeline.
- 2024 Grant process
- Bylaws Update
- General Administrative
The terminology “action” as used herein shall mean deliberate, discuss, consider, review, evaluate, make a collective decision, or take a vote on the above-listed item.
Any person may appear at the time, place, and date set forth hereinabove and observe the action(s) of the Commission. No public testimony will be accepted on the item(s) listed above. The Commission may hold an executive session during the special meeting for any reason set forth in RCW 42.30.110. The public will not be allowed to attend any executive session.
Additional information may be obtained on this notice by contacting Maureen Dodroe at 509-742-9380 or mdodroe@visitspokane.com.
DATED THIS 17th day of April 2023.
SPOKANE HOTEL and MOTEL COMMISSION TPA COMMISSION
_______________________________________
Maureen Dodroe, TPA Manager Representative
2022 TPA Grant Recipients
Organization | Event | Grant |
| BWBF Association | Blue Waters Bluegrass Festival | $500.00 |
| The Fairchild Air Force Base Non-appropriated Funds Instrumentality | 13th CISM World Military Women's Soccer Championship | $10,875.00 |
| JAKT Foundation (formerly Vision Marketing) | Crave! | $2,719.00 |
| Eastern Washington University | The Get Lit! Festival | $2,225.00 |
| Spokane Hoopfest Association | Spokane Hoopfest | $9,375.00 |
| Lilac Bloomsday Association | Bloomsday Run | $1,875.00 |
| Northwest Museum of Arts - NW MAC | DreamWorks Animation: Journey from Sketch to Screen | $6,063.00 |
| The Spokane Symphony Society | Celebrate the Season with the Spokane Symphony | $4,344.00 |
| Spokane Valley Summer Theatre | Spokane Valley Summer Theatre 2022 Blockbuster Season | $2,838.00 |
| Spokane Americans Youth Hockey Association | Spokane Youth Hockey Tournaments Promo Project | $ 2,875.00 |
| Negative Split LLC | Windermere Marathon | $4,063.00 |
Total: | $50,002.00 |
A brief history of the Spokane Tourism Promotion Area (TPA)
The purpose of the TPA fund is to grow our tourism economy through increased visitor spending in Spokane County lodging establishments as well in retail, restaurant, transportation, attraction, and other hospitality establishments.
In 2004, Spokane-area lodging establishments petitioned Spokane County to establish a TPA assessment collection that began in June of 2004. State RCW 35.10 provides the legislation for TPAs.
TPA funds are made available through the support of Spokane County, City of Spokane Valley, and City of Spokane lodging businesses.
The rate is $4 per room night, collected by lodging establishments from direct charges to overnight visitors. TPA funds are an assessment, not a tax, added to the cost of a hotel/motel room with permission from the Spokane Hotel and Motel Commission.
NOTE: “Lodging Tax” is a rebate from the sales tax collected on room sales, returned to the city/county to help promote tourism. These are separate funds from TPA funds, with different rules for use and different advisory commissions.
Why tourism is important. ¹Visitor spending in Spokane County was approximately $1.191 billion in 2019. This spending supports more than 12,746 jobs in the local tourism industry and generated $128 million in non-resident tax revenues collected in Spokane County.
The County has contracted with Visit Spokane to act as the administrative manager for the TPA. As managers we:
- Ensure compliance with all regulations
- Develop an annual estimate of income and budget
- Administer contracts with funded agencies
- Perform administrative duties for the Spokane Hotel and Motel Commission
The Spokane Hotel and Motel (TPA) Commission is made up of eight members, representing the three jurisdictions. Members are hoteliers appointed by City and county elected officials. This Commission evaluates applications for funding and makes recommendations to the County for fund disbursements.
¹Source: Tourism Economics County Data, 2020
County Ordinance 4-0141, section 4 reads as follows:
USE OF SPECIAL ASSESSMENT REVENUES FOR THE PROMOTION OF TOURISM AND CONVENTION BUSINESS IN SPOKANE COUNTY.
The revenues from the Special Assessment levied by Spokane County on the Operators of Lodging Businesses situated within the Spokane County Tourism Promotion Area shall be used for the following purposes only:
- The funding of all activities and expenditures designed to increase tourism promotion and convention business within Spokane County as specified in the Spokane County Tourism Promotion Area Budget.
- The marketing of convention business that benefits local tourism and lodging businesses in Spokane County.
- The marketing of Spokane County to the travel industry in order to benefit local tourism and lodging businesses within the Spokane County Tourism Promotion Area.
- The marketing of Spokane County to recruit major sporting events in order to promote local tourism and to benefit lodging businesses within the Spokane County Tourism Promotion Area.