CARSON CITY, Nev. — The
Nevada Commission on Tourism (NCOT) has awarded 111 grants worth more than $662,000
to help rural communities promote attractions that draw visitors and generate
revenue for local economies, Lt. Gov. Brian K. Krolicki announced today.
“NCOT’s rural grants program
has endured decades of economic ups and downs, so it is with great pleasure
that we can continue to award them to the communities that bring visitors to
Nevada,” Krolicki, NCOT chair, said. “The grants help communities promote their
fine attractions through online marketing, advertising, public relations and
printing of brochures and maps.”
NCOT awards grants twice a
year to public entities such as visitors authorities, cities and chambers of
commerce, and each grant must be matched in value with local funds or labor.
Grant recipients in fiscal year 2009 reported an economic impact of $844
million and more than 1.3 million room nights generated for rural Nevada.
Examples of grants include:
·
$2,000 to the
Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe to help market the 2010 Pyramid Lake Triathlon to
out-of-state participants and spectators. The grant will help Pyramid Lake and
northern Nevada gain exposure as a quality recreational destination.
·
$3,000 to the
Laughlin Tourism Commission to design and implement a website dedicated to
River of Lights Boat Parade on the Colorado River.
·
$5,120 to the
Yerington Theatre for the Arts to help market a series of cultural events
through radio and internet advertising. These events will help attract future
performances to Yerington and increase visitation to the town.
·
$2,850 to the
Great Basin Heritage Area Partnership to optimize and promote the
organization’s website, which does not appear in the first 10 pages of Google
search results.
·
$10,000 to the
Virginia City Convention and Tourism Authority to continue a widely successful
billboard campaign in California. Billboards on Interstate 80 and Highway 50 in
California have proven to increase interest and visitation to Virginia City
from California travelers who saw the billboards.
·
$5,000 to the
Nevada Bed and Breakfast Guild to distribute brochures and pay for online
advertising and web hosting to promote more than 20 B&Bs statewide. Most of
the guild members are in rural Nevada, so this grant will help increase
awareness of rural destinations.
“The grant applications go
through a rigorous review process to be sure every dollar is spent in the most
efficient and beneficial way to fulfill NCOT’s mission to generate revenue for
the state through travel,” NCOT Director Dann Lewis said. “Every grant
recipient – every special event, brochure, ad and billboard – is a vital piece
of the big picture to attract more visitors to Nevada.”
Rural grants are awarded
twice a year, and requests for grants are meticulously reviewed by NCOT staff
and an advisory board before being approved by the commission. This round of
grants was approved at the June 2 commission meeting. For more information on
NCOT and the grant program, visit
www.TravelNevada.biz
.