USA: Tourism Commission To Revisit Awarding Of Grants

The Nevada Commission on Tourism will review how it awards grants to rural tourism entities that seek state help expanding their markets.

Board members also will consider whether it will expand how much it provides to promote some urban special events.

The department is entitled to three-eighths of 1 percent of collected room tax revenue, but rarely does it receive the full amount from the state. In the current budget, legislators appropriated the department $16.7 million, even though its cut of room-tax revenue was $20.5 million in 2015. When room tax revenue comes in over the budgeted amount, it automatically is transferred to a reserve account.

Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison, who chairs the commission, tasked the commission’s marketing committee with exploring how other states distribute grant money and how the state can get its best return on investment.

The action came at a Tuesday quarterly meeting at which the board unanimously approved allocating $238,000 in grants to 24 rural entities after receiving 31 requests totaling $511,997. The commission also has $100,000 available to promote urban special events, such as Hot August Nights, the Reno Air Races and the Great Reno Balloon Races in Northern Nevada and the Red Rock Rendezvous in Southern Nevada.

Organizations within the state’s largest cities — Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, Reno and Sparks — aren’t eligible for rural grants, but one Clark County entity was among the 24 that won approval.

The Moapa Valley Revitalization Project, which requested $16,756, half the amount needed to undertake the entire project, was awarded $12,200.

Funds will be used to build a visitor information kiosk, install benches, a shade shelter and trash receptacles in downtown Overton.

Moapa Valley Boulevard is the main street through Overton consisting of five blocks of storefronts, restaurants and commercial properties. The three-phase revitalization program is designed to make the street more accommodating for tourists.

The commission acknowledged that the purpose of grant system is to assist rural entities that don’t have resources such as the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority to turn to for marketing assistance.

Longtime commission member Ryan Sheltra, general manager of the Bonanza Casino in Reno and an advocate for rural programs, said the commission should analyze what events provide the best potential return in room-tax revenue. Added to the marketing committee Wednesday, Sheltra said he also wants to evaluate the special events the commission supports.

“It’s not a question of whether these are good events,” Sheltra said. “It’s a matter of whether we can afford all of them.”

In other business Wednesday, the board unanimously approved the department’s $2.3 million spring-summer marketing campaign, which runs May through August in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Phoenix and Boise, Idaho.

Commissioners were encouraged with results from the fall-winter campaign, the first featuring the “Go home with more stories than souvenirs” theme behind the backdrop of the Las Vegas band The Killers singing “Don’t Fence Me In.” Department marketing experts said in some markets, television ads scored well while digital content online was better in other markets.

Department director Claudia Vecchio also confirmed that this year’s Governor’s Global Tourism Summit would be Oct. 11-12 at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno.