More than 150 projects will be funded by the Nevada Division of Tourism (TravelNevada) through its rural marketing grants program, including a new website design through the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe.
TravelNevada distributed $983,400 to 159 projects promoting tourism in rural Nevada, Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison announced on June 21.
“Rural Nevada continues to use creativity to bring in visitors,” Hutchison said in a news release. “And that creativity serves an important industry. Tourism in rural Nevada is a $2.3 billion industry that supports 27,870 jobs. We are proud to assist the tourism professionals in rural Nevada through this grant program.”
The grants were approved by the Nevada Commission on Tourism (NCOT), the advisory group for TravelNevada. TravelNevada is part of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs (NDTCA).
The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe received $8,000 in grants to design, produce and host a new website that will be compatible with smart phones and will include an events page, contact form and links to the tribe’s social media networks, according to TravelNevada. Tribal staff will be able to update and add content to the site, hosted by WordPress.
According to the state, grants are given to nonprofit entities for tourism marketing projects that will result in overnight stays, ultimately increasing room tax revenue for the state. Grant recipients must provide a 50-50 match in funds or volunteer hours unless a waiver is approved.
NCOT distributes the grants in the form of reimbursements to the recipients after the projects are completed and labor and funding details are documented.
Funding for the Rural Grants Program does not come from the state’s general fund. TravelNevada receives three-eighths of 1 percent of room tax revenue as its operations budget. A portion of those funds is used to offer the Rural Grants Program.
For a complete listing of grant recipients by territory, visit http://bit.ly/2sSO4Xk.
