Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $2 Million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance to Support Marketing Plan to Aid Reopening of the Tourism Economy in the Mississippi Gulf Coast Region

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to the Mississippi Gulf Coast Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau, Biloxi, Mississippi, to develop and implement a tourism recovery marketing campaign in response to the economic downturn that resulted from the coronavirus pandemic. This EDA grant will be matched with $500,000 in local investment.

“President Biden is committed to helping our nation’s critical travel and tourism sector recover and build back stronger from the coronavirus pandemic,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This EDA investment will help the tourism industry in the Coastal Mississippi region recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, creating a stronger and more resilient state economy.”

“The Economic Development Administration is pleased to support community-led strategies designed to mitigate economic hardships brought on by the coronavirus pandemic,” said Dennis Alvord, Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “This investment will provide a roadmap to strengthen the Mississippi Gulf Coast regional economy.”

“The coronavirus pandemic has devastated travel this past year, and Mississippi’s tourism industry is suffering,” said Senator Roger Wicker. “This grant will aid the Mississippi Gulf Coast as our state works to recover and lay the groundwork for renewed prosperity.”

“The Mississippi Gulf Coast represents a major economic and cultural asset for our state, and it is primed for the post-COVID era,” said Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. “This EDA grant will be used to develop a plan to maximize the appeal of the region as a terrific tourist destination and place to do business.”

This project is funded under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (Public Law 116-136 PDF), which provided EDA with $1.5 billion for economic assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance, which is being administered under the authority of the bureau’s flexible Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) (PDF) program, provides a wide-range of financial assistance to eligible communities and regions as they respond to and recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.