Travel Nevada Awards $414,935 for Special Project Grants to Support Tourism Development Statewide
RENO, NV – Following its most recent commission meeting, the Nevada Commission on Tourism (NCOT) approved $414,935 in Special Project Grants to support tourism development statewide for fiscal year 2026. Administered by the Nevada Division of Tourism (Travel Nevada), the funding will be distributed to nine organizations, with a strong focus on helping rural communities enhance accessibility throughout Nevada’s tourism landscape.
To support these efforts, Travel Nevada has partnered with Wheel the World, Incredible Memories Travel, and TravelAbility to expand its capacity to provide education, meet partner needs, and advance strategic priorities, including stewardship, accessibility, and workforce development.
“True hospitality means making sure everyone feels welcome,” said Nicole Orsua, Chief Industry Development Officer at Travel Nevada. “Considering more than a quarter of U.S. adults live with a disability, Nevada’s tourism industry can lead by designing experiences that go beyond accessibility to create environments that are comfortable, engaging, and memorable for every visitor.”
Funded projects include:
- A $50,000 grant to Cowboy Arts and Gear Museum to develop accessible interpretation for museum exhibits.
- St. Mary’s Art Center received a $50,000 grant to implement accessible programming, update its website to meet ADA compliance standards, and conduct a wheelchair accessibility audit.
- White Pine County received a $30,000 grant to develop an accessible, interactive 3D star map.
- A $50,000 grant to Friends of Gem Theater to improve accessible ingress and egress at the historic venue.
- Boulder City received a $50,000 grant to conduct a comprehensive accessibility assessment aimed at improving wayfinding and interpretive signage, expanding accessible information about local businesses, and strengthening community-wide service training.
Recent outreach, particularly in rural areas, has identified critical gaps in infrastructure, services, and capacity that limit the visitor experience and hinder communities from fully benefiting from tourism’s economic potential.
Administered by Travel Nevada, this initiative builds on ongoing collaboration with stakeholders across the state to strengthen Nevada’s tourism economy. For more on the Special Project Grant Program, click here.
For a complete list of grant recipients, click here.
The Nevada Division of Tourism is a division of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs. More commonly known as Travel Nevada, the Nevada Division of Tourism is responsible for promoting and marketing Nevada as a travel destination to domestic and international travelers. Operating within a performance-based budget structure, Travel Nevada is funded solely by a percentage of lodging tax paid by overnight guests throughout the state. For more, visit TravelNevada.biz.