The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors will consider whether to establish recurring base funding for tourism partners, including historically funded gateway chambers and visitors bureaus, at its Oct. 27 meeting.
Under the proposal, each qualifying chamber or visitors bureau would receive $20,000 to $30,000 annually beginning in fiscal year 2027-28. The same base funding would be considered for the Ink People Center for the Arts and Redwood Region Entertainment and Education Liaisons Inc., known as RREEL. The agenda says the funding would recognize those organizations’ historical partnership with the county and their roles in supporting tourism-related activities and visitor experiences.
The item, sponsored by Supervisor Michelle Bushnell, would also preserve the balance of available tourism funding for regional, collaborative, strategic and competitive initiatives under the county’s Travel and Tourism Marketing Strategy, according to the county agenda.
The proposal would not set each organization’s final allocation or establish a total annual cost. Instead, supervisors are being asked to direct staff to return with Tourism Advisory Board recommendations on eligibility criteria, funding levels, application requirements and performance measures before the model is implemented.
