Tourism Business Grants: 21 Funding Programs Currently Available

If you’re looking for tourism business grants, you’re in the right place!

Because we have the most comprehensive, up-to-date guide on grants and other types of funding for entrepreneurs running tourism businesses.

In this guide you’ll learn what’s available, eligibility requirements, how much you can get, and much more!

What Can Tourism Business Grants Be Used For?

Tourism business grants can be used to pay for many aspects of starting or running a business. Here are some of the uses that are covered by programs in our grants database:

  • Bringing new and innovative tourism products, experiences, and services to the market
  • Expanding your Tourism business
  • Training and skills development for your employees
  • Energy efficiency upgrades for your Tourism business
  • Technology adoption for your Tourism business

See the section below with a complete list of tourism business grants available.

How Much Grant Money Can I Get for My Tourism Business?

In our database we currently have grants ranging from $2,400 to $25,000.

Am I Eligible for a Tourism Business Grant? Common Eligibility Criteria

Two of the most common questions we get asked at Ontario Business Grants are “Am I eligible?” and “How do I qualify?”.

We analyzed the tourism business grants in our grants database, and these are the most common qualifications we identified:

  • Be businesses/organizations in the tourism industry
  • Be for-profit tourism businesses
  • Be consumer-facing businesses
  • Be businesses incorporated or registered in Canada

Note: these are just the most common eligibility criteria.

Tourism Business Grants for Ontario: Current Grants Available

In the table below we list the grants currently available to Ontario tourism businesses.

To learn more about each program, just click the program name and you’ll be taken to a web page that provides detailed information on the program, including eligibility, the dollar amount of the program, and how to apply for the grant:

Grants for Ontario Tourism Businesses

Other Types of Funding for Tourism Businesses

Our goal is for this guide to be a complete source of funding information for Tourism businesses. So, in this section you’ll find all the other money programs (besides grants) that are available to Tourism entrepreneurs:

  • Loans for Tourism Businesses

A loan might not sound as good as a grant, but many loans for tourism businesses have a low interest rate. While they might not be free money, if you don’t qualify for a grant, a low-interest loan is probably the next best thing.

The programs below include non-profit loans:

Loans for Tourism Businesses

  • Subsidies for Tourism Businesses

A subsidy is a type of financial assistance usually provided by the government in order to promote a social good or an economic policy. Wage subsidies are the most common subsidies.

certifiacte-icon

Guaranteed Government Grants

Get a FREE 45-page guide with proven steps to business grants success:

    We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at anytime.

    In the table below you’ll find the subsidies currently available for tourism businesses:

     Subsidies for Tourism Businesses

    Best Tourism Business Grants, Loans & More

    While there are lots of good programs available, below we highlight some of the best grants, loans, subsidies & more for Tourism businesses:

    Best Government Grants for Tourism Businesses

    Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) – Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP): Grow Your Business Online

    The Canada Digital Adoption Program provides businesses with financing, tools and resources to adopt e-commerce platforms and implement digital transformation plans.

    The Grow Your Business Online grant will provide micro-grants of up to $2,400 to small businesses to help with the costs related to adopting digital technologies.

    Best Non-profit Grants for Tourism Businesses

    Blue Sky Economic Growth Corporation (BSEGC) – BTIF Program

    BTIF is a FedNor-funded initiative which assists SMEs in the Blue Sky Net region within Northeastern Ontario develop their capacity for business technology and their ability for technology adoption. The BTIF grant helps to alleviate the costs of implementing innovative technology solutions.

    Destination Markham Corporation (DMC) – Partnership Support Program

    DMC’s Partnership Support Program provides support to tourism organizations who are working through the pandemic to keep their business open and facilitating projects for the recovery and revitalization of the visitor economy in Markham.

    Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre (NOIC) – BTIF Program

    The BTIF Program provides support to Northwestern Ontario businesses for implementing innovative technologies to enhance their websites and social media, their business processes with hardware or software, their human capital development and technology education, their customer relationship management and online service.

    Regional Tourism Organization 9 (RTO9) – Partnership Funding

    RTO 9’s Partnership Fund is designed to forge strong and diverse partnerships that either build on existing tourism products or introduce new tourism products. These projects serve to enhance the region’s diversity of offerings to create a competitive advantage in tourism experiences throughout the South Eastern Ontario region.

    Best Non-profit Loans for Tourism Businesses

    Community Futures Oxford – Future Oxford Legacy Fund – Access to Capital

    The goal of the Future Oxford Legacy Fund – Access to Capital component will be to cultivate entrepreneurship throughout Oxford, thereby building a vibrant and sustainable economy. Priority sectors include youth entrepreneurship and employment, arts, culture, tourism, high-tech manufacturing, green technology, and locally grown and processed agriculture products. Access to capital provides flexible repayment terms, negotiated to encourage the long-term viability of the borrower.

    Community Futures Oxford – Sand Plains Community Development Fund

    The Sand Plains Community Development Fund provides loans of up to $250,000 to new or existing businesses in Oxford County. The goal of this Fund is to foster entrepreneurship in the region by increasing the availability of patient capital for small business start-ups and expansions in priority sectors. Patient capital provides flexible repayment terms, negotiated to encourage the long-term viability of the borrower.

    Loans can be used for the following:

    • new and used equipment purchases;
    • inventory;
    • commercial real estate;
    • working capital.

    Best Non-Profit Subsidy for Tourism Businesses

    Tourism HR Canada – Propel Student Work Placement Program

    Funded by the Government of Canada through the Student Work Placement Program, Propel offers registered Canadian businesses, startups, and not-for-profits related to the tourism and hospitality sector a subsidy on each qualifying student’s wages. The wage subsidy can be accessed by businesses from all facets of the visitor economy: accommodations, food and beverage services, recreation and entertainment, transportation, and travel services.

    Similar Posts

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *