(KMZA)--A $100,000 state grant has been awarded to help preserve the Pony Express Barn and Museum in Marysville.

Its among 18 recipients awarded $30 million in funding to develop and improve tourism sites statewide.

Governor Laura Kelly announced the grant awards last week through the State Park Revitalization and Investment in Notable Tourism program, known as SPRINT, which was launched by the Department of Commerce earlier this year.

According to a release from Kelly's office, the funds were designated by the Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas Executive Committee, known as SPARK, and approved by the State Finance Council to support capital projects that spur economic development in the tourism industry, which the release calls " one of the most affected industries by COVID-19."

The release says visitor spending, which generates a total annual economic impact of $11.2 billion in Kansas, has yet to return fully to pre-pandemic levels.