SUBMITTED NEWS RELEASE
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.
