Travel Nevada Awards Nevada’s Tourism Territories & Tourism Industry Partners $1.5 Million
CARSON CITY, NV – The Nevada Commission on Tourism (NCOT) on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, approved $1.5 million in marketing grants to rural communities aiming to better position themselves as tourism destinations for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. Travel Nevada will distribute 38 grants across 38 organizations to support a variety of marketing projects that boost overnight stays, increase room tax revenue, and support jobs across Nevada.
To assist tourism territories and partners in their Rural Marketing Grant applications for FY2025, Travel Nevada organized educational webinars with research, marketing, and trade partners presenting cooperative campaign and program opportunities; and a grant writing workshop was held at the 2024 Rural Roundup conference in Stateline. Office hours were made available to partners to review any questions with Travel Nevada’s Industry Development Specialist. These efforts were offered to provide guidance on the application process and to help tourism partners submit a successful application.
“Travel Nevada’s rural partners are crucial to the success of tourism in the state. Their amazing and unique attractions and landmarks draw visitors from throughout the state, country and world. Supporting their efforts to attract visitors to Nevada is essential,” said Rafael Villanueva, CEO of Travel Nevada. “I appreciate our applicants for submitting impressive proposals that will continue to impact the economic development and quality of life in our communities.”
Some of the funded projects include:
- A $101,122 award was granted to the Cowboy Country to support ongoing marketing efforts to promote the territory both domestically and internationally at tradeshows; fund digital campaigns in Reno and Salt Lake City, UT; promote the speed challenge event in Battle Mountain; and fund social media ads to ultimately increase overnight stays in northern Nevada.
- A $149,949 award was granted to the Las Vegas Territory (LVT) to support marketing efforts that promote tourism in extended destinations. LVT will complete outreach through sales missions, familiarization (FAM) tours, advertising with SEO optimization, and events. LVT has also included training for travel professionals on how to book Nevada vacations that include extended reservations.
- A $61,600 award was granted to the Nevada Indian Territory to strengthen cultural awareness and identity through an eco-cultural tourism project, while being environmentally responsible and inclusive of the Great Basin Indigenous People and provide economic development opportunities.
- A $144,860 award was granted to Nevada Silver Trails to support their marketing efforts through various outlets to showcase assets, attractions, and experiences within the territory. The goal is to create engaging content that will entice viewers to learn more about Nevada Silver Trails and eventually travel throughout the territory.
- A $174,302 award was granted to the Pony Express Territory (PET) to support marketing efforts that promote travel along Highway 50, “The Loneliest Road in America” from Dayton to Baker, NV. Marketing efforts will take an integrated approach to attract visitors through print, digital, website, social media, podcasts, and direct mail strategies.
- A $163,500 award was granted to the Reno-Tahoe Territory (RTT) to fulfill the territories ongoing efforts included in their strategic plan that includes public relations, sales, and data platform subscription components. Each component will increase destination awareness and drive more visitation to RTT and beyond.
Marketing grant applications were reviewed by staff and members of the Territory Advisory Committee (TAC) on Friday, May 17, 2024, before being submitted for final approval to NCOT.
To ensure progress and hold those awarded accountable for the deliverables presented in their proposals, Travel Nevada will complete mid-year check-ins.
For a complete list of grant recipients, click here.
Applications for FY26 will open in the first quarter of 2025. To help applicants through the grant process, Travel Nevada will host webinars, co-ops, and workshops to provide hands-on guidance and valuable resources to ensure applicants are well prepared to submit a successful application. For more on the Rural Marketing Grants program, click here.
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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.
