Healthy and Safe Travel Promotion Act of 2020

Healthy and Safe Travel Promotion Act of 2020

This bill establishes grants and authorizes the use of certain funds to assist with economic recovery efforts in communities affected by declines in travel and tourism as a result of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).

Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Commerce to provide grants to entities such as nonprofit organizations and state tourism offices that are responsible for marketing, selling, or promoting tourism to a community, region, or state. Such entities shall use grant funds to pay costs associated with (1) tourism marketing and promotion, (2) providing information to visitors about health and safety protections, (3) sanitation or cleaning, and (4) salaries and expenses related to such activities.

Further, the bill authorizes a recipient of amounts from the coronavirus relief fund to use such amounts to cover certain expenditures that (1) are made to assist with the economic recovery of an area impacted by a decline in travel and tourism as a result of COVID-19, and (2) are associated with marketing or promoting travel or tourism to the recipient's area. The bill also specifies that tourism and marketing promotion activities shall be considered an eligible use of certain economic development assistance funds provided in response to COVID-19.