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$100,000 up for grabs in Shreveport Bossier tourism business competition

SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — A new collaborative effort aims to spark tourism-based businesses in Shreveport-Bossier. Visit Shreveport-Bossier is teaming up with BRF's Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program to launch 'Destination 318', a tourism business competition with $100,000 up for grabs. 'It's a great opportunity for entrepreneurs. It's a great opportunity for our community to develop new businesses that meet an unmet need for tourism in our area,' said Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux. 'And the Master Plan identifies some of those areas. So people should get a copy of the Master Plan and see what is it that we're kind of looking for.' More Local News According to Visit Shreveport-Bossier President & CEO Stacy Brown, when it's over, six businesses will be chosen to receive prize money, with $50,000 going to the winning tourism-based business. 'We want tourism businesses that meet some of those unmet needs identified by the Destination Master Plan,' said Brown. 'We're the experts in tourism marketing, they're the experts at building businesses. So we're working together to build some creative businesses to build tourism.' Lisa Johnson, President & CEO of the Bossier Chamber of Commerce, says the competition will hopefully meet the needs of young airmen on Barksdale Air Force base, who she says love to enjoy outdoor activities. 'There are a lot of young men and women that love to do outdoor recreation. But we need the resources for them to be able to do that,' said Johnson. 'So we're hoping that that entrepreneur is going to step up and make some of these things happen.' The application process opens on Saturday, February 1, and closes on Friday, February 28. Business concepts should focus on outdoor recreation, sports, hospitality, arts, culture or entertainment. Winning businesses will have access to legal and accounting advice to help ensure long-term success. For more information, contact Karen Barnes, VP of Destination Development, at Destination318@ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.