Nevada Tourism Commission Awards Marketing Grants to Help Rural Communities Attract Visitors

LAS VEGAS. - The Nevada Commission on Tourism awarded marketing grants totaling $595,000 Wednesday to help more than 30 rural communities attract visitors with promotions such as Octane Fest motor sports event in Fallon, a Web site for scenic Moapa Valley, an America’s Car Collection exhibit in Winnemucca and a television show featuring areas with Native American culture.

“The grants are an investment in rural Nevada,” Lt. Gov. Brian K. Krolicki, commission chair, said. “These dollars really make a difference for communities that depend upon tourism to help sustain their economies but may not have all of the resources to promote and market their attractions.”
The commission awards $1.75 million in rural grants to assist community projects statewide. Grants are awarded twice a year, in June and December and must be used to market and promote community attractions and events. Recipients must be public entities, such as cities, chambers of commerce or convention authorities. Funding comes from the lodging tax that visitors pay, not from the General Fund.
“Marketing is key to tourism’s economic success,” state tourism Director Tim Maland said. “Rural Nevada has a wealth of beautiful parks, stimulating outdoor recreation and fun events to offer visitors. The grant program enables communities to reach out to people through advertising, Web sites and other promotions essential to attracting tourism.”
This cycle’s grants included $24,000 to Pony Express Territory to produce a “Wonders of the West” public television program for each of Nevada’s five tourism “territories” that highlight communities with Native American culture; $12,000 for a public relations and advertising program to promote Pioneer Territory; $8,000 for a new two-week event, Octane Fest — Fallon Motor Sports Week, in venues from Top Gun Speedway to Sand Mountain’s off-road vehicle adventure; and $2,500 to develop a Web site, moapavalley.com, that will generate interest in this historic area northeast of Las Vegas.
For a complete listing of the 96 current Rural Grant Program recipients, please visit http://TravelNevada.com/?id=295

December 12, 2007   Posted in: United States West