The Saint John Hotel Association is requesting $20,000 from the city to help bring Atlantic tourists uptown this summer.
The money would go toward a marketing campaign offering a two-night stay in a Saint John hotel, plus $50 in Uptown Dollars.
The Uptown Dollars program functions like gift cards but specifically for use at Saint John-area businesses.
Saint John’s Growth Committee heard the original request at its April 27 meeting.
Mayor Don Darling told the committee he sees the hotel association has been a good partner for the city throughout the years.
“They’ve invested millions of dollars over the years,” he said. “Certainly it’s been a very tough time on hotels and convention centres and so on over the last year, so this is (a project) I’m very supportive of.”
Councillor John MacKenzie agreed with the mayor, adding the grant could have a rising tide effect on other uptown businesses.
“This is going to not only help their industry, but also all of the restaurants, bars and shops that people visit,” said MacKenzie. “It’s like an investment. Not just for the city, but for the businesses and the hotels.”
The tourism incentive proposal will come before Common Council at its May 2 meeting.
