An Act establishing a program to increase cultural equity in tourism promotion and marketing

This bill creates a new grant program called the Cultural Tourism Marketing Fund to help arts organizations, cultural groups, and historic sites promote their events and locations to tourists. Administered by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism in consultation with the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the program aims to increase cultural, geographic, and creative diversity by prioritizing applicants that represent historically marginalized or underrepresented cultures. Funding for the program will come from at least one percent of the annual receipts of the Tourism Fund, and grants will be distributed based on criteria such as geographic and cultural diversity, the applicant's existing marketing resources, and their ability to amplify diverse stories. Eligible recipients include nonprofit and for-profit entities dedicated to the arts, culture, and humanities, as well as cooperatives where at least 70 percent of the members are artists or creative workers.