The Maine Office of Tourism has awarded grants totaling $75,000 to 11 recipients for projects intended to promote Maine as a tourist destination, the office said Monday.

Established in 2014, the Tourism Enterprise Marketing Grant program provides funds ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 to “help promote viable marketing projects that will help to increase visitor traffic to the state of Maine,” the office said in a news release.

Its aim is to make the state agency more responsive in supporting tourism-related projects of smaller organizations with funding that can help them grow or get new initiatives off the ground. Grants are reviewed and awarded biannually in spring and fall. The spring 2015 awards total is $74,967.

The latest recipients are Maine Pond Hockey Classic, Dempsey Challenge, Bike Maine, Experience Maritime Maine, Maine Huts & Trails, Coastal Botanical Gardens, Maine Photo Project, International Sculpture Trail, Tough Mudder, Ogunquit Chamber of Commerce and Greater York Chamber of Commerce.

“Maine offers so many amazing experiences for visitors,” Carolann Ouellette, director of the state Office of Tourism, said in the release. “The grant funds will help these organizations and destinations expand their marketing reach to tell the story of their special events and places.”

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