City Tourism & Cultural Investment Committee Wins State Tourism Award

City of Spokane Tourism and Cultural Investment Committee Wins State Tourism Award

Erin Hut, Communications Director, [email protected]

Tuesday, October 14, 2025 at 4:33 p.m.

The City of Spokane's Tourism and Cultural Investment (TACI) Grants Committee has been honored with the Washington State Tourism Award for Advancements in DEI.

Mayor Lisa Brown revived the TACI Committee (formerly known as the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee) in 2024 after it had been dormant for two years. Councilmember Zack Zappone and Visit Spokane CEO Rose Noble then strategically reshaped the committee and grant applications, ensuring that lodging tax dollars remained compliant with Washington State laws requiring tourism promotion that drives overnight hotel stays.

Funding for TACI grants comes from state law RCW 67.28.1817, which established a lodging excise tax that is paid per bed stay at local hotels. Revenue from the tax is then used to fund opportunities that bolster Spokane's tourism and cultural environment.

Recent awards included:

• $10,000 for Tacos y Tequila
• $10,000 for Boomjam Music and Arts Festival
• $10,000 for Garland Pride
• $10,000 for the Blue Door Theatre
• $10,000 for the South Perry Street Fair
• $10,000 for the Curators of Sound Concert Series
• $5,000 for dom+bomb Fashion Shot
• $10,000 for City of Spokane special event barricades
• $10,000 for Terrain Flagship

"The City of Spokane is honored to receive this award, but even more so, we are grateful to put these dollars back into our community. They help fund cultural events like Tacos y Tequila and the South Perry Street Fair, which are unique to our city and strengthen the sense of connection that makes Spokane so special," Mayor Brown said.

"Winning this award is deeply gratifying because it means the funding we help administer is not just symbolic, it is actively used to support and amplify diversity in our city," Councilmember Zappone said. "This recognition reaffirms that these investments matter."

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