(KMZA)--The Kansas Department of Commerce has awarded $100,000 to support 20 new tourism marketing projects across Kansas--including a local northeast Kansas project. 

The grant awards were announced Monday.  

Locally, the Seneca Area Chamber and Downtown Impact was awarded a nearly $2,700 grant to create a new Trek Northeast Kansas passport app.

Nemaha, Jackson, Doniphan and Brown Counties are partnering to create the new app, which will offer theme tours that encourage deeper regional exploration.  

The Department of Commerce, in a release, said the projects will help communities elevate their advertising efforts and inspire new visitors to explore the Sunflower state.  

In total, the 20 grant recipients will invest more than $177,000 in matching funds.  

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said last year tourism contributed $8.2 billion in visitor spending to the state’s economy.