Pullman, WA – The United States Department of Agriculture has awarded a $50,000 Rural Business Enterprise Grant to the City of Pullman. The grant funds will be used to develop a tourism assessment and strategic plan for the City.
Pullman’s tourism sector is important to the region’s overall economy and critical to retaining and growing jobs in many of the same small businesses hurt by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the Fall of 2020, it was estimated Pullman would lose up to $13 million in visitor spending with the cancellation of Cougar football and with classes moving online. With its focus on strengthening the tourism industry, the project will support the development of small and emerging private business enterprises in the City of Pullman.
“The hospitality, retail, and travel industries in Pullman have been impacted severely over the last year,” said Mayor Glenn Johnson. “This grant will help us recover and also grow and provide more constant support for those businesses, especially during times of the year when tourism is traditionally low. This activity will engage many stakeholders so we can set a course for future growth of this industry based on a collective vision and shared priorities.”
Businesses and organizations including The Black Cypress, Flirt, MPP Holdings, Hotel McCoy, Pullman Depot Heritage Center, and SEWEDA provided letters of support for the project