Forty South Dakota communities will receive a share of $200,000 from a Tourism Advertising Promotion grant program.

Gov. Larry Rhoden announced the awards Monday during a National Travel and Tourism Week visit to Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

“Our goal is to keep visitors in our state longer. That way they spend more dollars and they benefit our economy,” Rhoden said. “These grants will help our communities tell their stories, attract visitors and grow their local economies.”

The grant program provides marketing funds for tourism events such as festivals, concerts, rodeos and powwows. Grants range from $1,000 to $10,000.

Funds for the grants come from the Department of Tourism’s budget, funded by the 1.5% tourism promotion tax. The tax applies year-round to businesses including hotels, campgrounds, visitor attractions, vehicle rentals and spectator events, and applies during the summer tourist season to some additional visitor-intensive businesses.

A list of grant recipients is available online at news.sd.gov.