Reno pushes cultural tourism

Even as it continues efforts to strengthen Reno's art district, the Reno- Sparks Convention and Visitors Bureau gears up to promote historic tourism in the region.

The two campaigns cultural and historic tourism draw visitors who spend more money and typically linger for more days than other tourists, said Mary Ann McAuliffe, arts and culture manager for RSCVA.

The region's historic assets range from Virginia City the nation's largest designated historic district to ancient petroglyphs to the downtown bridge where newly divorced women tossed their gold bands into the Truckee River.

The challenge, McAuliffe said, will be marketing historic tourism, part of RSCVA's continued campaign to create a new brand image for northern Nevada.

RSCVA looks for corporate partners to create history tourism packages a strategy that was successful with the opening of the new Nevada Museum of Art and also brainstorms more modest proposals.

One possibility, McAuliffe said, is creation of vacation planners that suggest agendas for visitors with specific interests Native American culture, for instance or families interested in history.

RSCVA officials believe that strengthening the history and cultural segment of the tourism business will boost other attractions as well.

"These visitors dovetail activities," McAuliffe said.

"They like golf, but they also like Edward Hopper at the museum."

And heritage tourism may be the most important piece of the historyand- cultural segment.

"Heritage tourism is a bigger draw.

It's more accessible than art," McAuliffe said.

But heritage tourism is difficult to market.

Unlike events such as Artown or the opening of the museum events which occurred in a defined time at a defined place heritage tourism is ongoing and diffuse.

RSCVA's efforts to strengthen heritage tourism build on its successes with arts and cultural activities.

Shortly after taking over the job as arts and cultural manager for the agency in 1999, McAuliffe undertook an inventory of the area's cultural attractions a list that today includes everything from art galleries to the Reno Film Festival to the National Automobile Museum.

"The city is small, but the assets we have are incredible," the RSCVA official said.

The next step for the agency was helping to build an artistic infrastructure.

It invested $20,000 in the effort to install 60 metal sculpture banners throughout the Truckee River Arts and Culture District.

The 60 banners created by Reno artist David Boyer, which will spin in the Truckee Meadows winds, are being installed this autumn.

McAuliffe also spearheaded an effort to create the large "skyscape" mural overlooking Sierra Street and the Truckee River from the side of a Washoe County building.

The mural completed this summer is the work of artist Jim Zlokovich.

The strengthening of the art district infrastructure will get another pop with completion of a whitewater course on the nearby Truckee River, McAuliffe said.

That means that outdoor adventure and artistic endeavors will co-exist.

"You'll be in an urban setting, but it will be unique to Reno," she said.

As the city's cultural attractions begin to draw more media attention from the New York Times to a trade magazine for bus tour operators McAuliffe said she feels confidence the effort is gaining ground.

"It's happening.

The press is coming together, but it's hard work," she said.

"You can't let anything stop you.

You have to keep pushing."