travel and tourism

Lawmakers ended the second special session of the summer shortly after midnight on Wednesday after passing a heavily lobbied bill that shields many businesses from COVID-19-related lawsuits but ultimately exempted school districts, hospitals and other health care facilities from receiving the additional protections.

RENO, Nev. (July 1, 2020) — The Abbi Agency, an integrated marketing agency headquartered in Reno, Nev., has been chosen as the agency of record for Visit Placer, a 1,400-square mile destination with diverse geography in Northern California encompassing a range of cities from Olympic Valley to Foresthill and Auburn to Roseville.

The destination complements The Abbi Agency’s growing portfolio of tourism marketing clients in California, including Visit Carmel, North Lake Tahoe, Explore Murrieta and Goleta.

Alana Ridge has been elected to the board of directors of NCET, a member-supported non-profit that produces educational and networking events to help people explore businesses and technology.

Wes McQuillen and Kyle Robertson have been re-elected to the NCET board.

Ridge, elected as NCET’s vice president of public relations, is a public relations and strategic communications professional in Reno, with a background spanning several industries -- from travel and tourism to the non-profit sector.

DAE&Co., the brainchild of Diana Evans, a professional marketer with more than 30 years in the business, is now offering a full range of marketing services to clients across the West.

The boutique virtual agency brings together a team of experts to create fully integrated campaigns that are effective through the full marketing cycle, from engagement to sale. (https://www.daeandcompany.com/)

Noble Studios, a creative digital performance agency, is calling on all Nevada nonprofits from Las Vegas to Reno to Elko and beyond to submit an application for their community service program, Noble Deeds, by March 6, 2020. The Noble Deeds program provides more than $200,000 in pro bono digital marketing services to one or more Nevada nonprofits during the calendar year.

CARSON CITY — A new museum as well as recreation, entertainment and dining opportunities will bloom this spring in Nevada. From the opening of the Stewart Indian School Cultural Center and Museum in Carson City to the debut of new restaurants in Las Vegas, Nevada delivers uncommon experiences this season.

CARSON CITY — Juraj “George” Sojka of Stateline, Nev., has joined the Nevada Division of Tourism, also known as Travel Nevada, as its new international market manager. Sojka will oversee Travel Nevada’s efforts in Europe and the United Kingdom. He brings about 10 years of sales, marketing and management experience to the position.

The last vacation I took was more than five years ago in Las Vegas. Being the country boy that I am, my arrival to the “Entertainment Capital of the World” was filled with both excitement and angst.

CARSON CITY — Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak has issued a proclamation declaring the second week of May as Travel and Tourism Week in the state. The proclamation, issued on May 3, comes as part of a broader national celebration of the travel and tourism industries in the United States.

CARSON CITY — TravelNevada debuts five summer experiences in five Nevada territories, encouraging travelers to follow ancient Basque pilgrimages, traverse ghosts towns, explore alpine lakes and rock formations, practice mindfulness and view meteor showers from one of the last remaining dark skies.

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — Last month, award winning advertising agency SJ Marketing turned its annual client-gift project into a community support campaign, raising more than $1,250 for area non-profits. Proceeds from the campaign, “You’ve Been Givted,” went to four local charities: Awaken Reno, a human trafficking awareness organization; PetNetwork, a Tahoe-based animal shelter; Families for Early Autism Treatment (FEAT), a local grassroots effort; and the Reno-Tahoe area Meals on Wheels organization.

CARSON CITY — History enthusiasts who missed November’s sold out Frances Humphrey Lecture on the future of Stewart Indian School have a second chance this Saturday, Jan. 20, at the Nevada State Museum.

When Stewart Indian School was established in 1890 on the outskirts of Carson City, it was one of the first 25 of hundreds of boarding schools set up around the nation with a mission to assimilate American Indian children into mainstream culture.

The Stewart Indian School Father's Day Powwow often stands out to attendees by the setting alone. “It’s a beautiful campus with multicolored stone buildings as well as the the grassy field,” said Sherry Rupert, executive director of the Nevada Indian Commission. “That’s a big attraction because most powwows are held in dirt or in parking lots.”

CARSON CITY, Nev. — Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison will lead a delegation of Nevada travel industry professionals on a trade mission to China April 5-15. China is an important market for Nevada and the United States, as it one of the fastest-growing inbound travel markets to our country.

The U.S. Travel Association estimates 5.7 million Chinese visitors to the United States in 2021, which will make it the No. 1 overseas travel market in the United States. According to USTA, the average spending by Chinese visitors in 2015 was $7,201 per visit, more than visitors from any other country.

CARSON CITY, Nev. — The Nevada Division of Tourism, also known as TravelNevada, announced a preliminary 2016 report Wednesday showing increased revenue and employment powered by the travel sector.

Sherry L. Rupert will speak on preserving the Stewart Indian School, in a free presentation at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park on Saturday, September 24, at 10:00 am.

For ninety years, Stewart Indian School fulfilled a federal commitment to pursue Native American education in Nevada. Located three miles southeast of Carson City, the school grounds encompassed 240 acres.

The Nevada Division of Tourism, also known as TravelNevada, has been awarded the public relations industry’s most distinguished honor — an elusive Silver Anvil — for its “Don’t Fence Me In” millennial marketing campaign.

TravelNevada joins the elite club of destination marketing organizations to borrow the Google Street View Trekker to collect images of less-traveled areas in Nevada for use on Google Maps. The areas will also be mapped on the TravelNevada website and available for use by any participating tourism entity, such as the many Nevada state parks that aided in filming.

Nevada tourism officials attended the launch of the China Tourism Year in Beijing on Monday, marking a cooperative effort to increase travel between China and the United States.

CARSON CITY, Nev. – In a January press release to members of The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International, Claudia Vecchio, director of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, was named one of the organization’s Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality Sales, Marketing and Revenue Optimization. HSMAI is an international, professional organization for more than 7,000 members working in hospitality and tourism, and serves as the industry’s leading advocate for sustainable hotel revenue growth.

Nevada’s New Year’s resolution is to ensure that travelers go home with more stories than souvenirs. With the lineup of events scheduled in early 2016, that is sure to ring true. As always, Nevada will offer fun, unique events for visitors of all interests and ages that will guarantee unforgettable experiences. Kick off the New Year at one of these Nevada-only events:

LAS VEGAS — Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison presented the Nevada Commission on Tourism Legacy Award to Lorraine Hunt-Bono, former lieutenant governor and former chair of the Nevada Commission on Tourism at the Nevada Governor’s Global Tourism Summit Monday.

Carrying on its trailblazing tradition, Nevada Magazine could not be fenced in last Friday at the Nevada Press Association awards banquet as it claimed five first-place awards including the coveted General Excellence award, the top prize in the magazine category.

Following approval by the Nevada Commission on Tourism and TravelNevada, officials Wednesday released plans for the Silver State's fall and winter integrated marketing campaign.

Through a variety of enhanced public relations, social and paid media channels, Nevada is again focusing the campaign to Millennials and Young Gen X travelers who have an adventure mindset.

Since 2013, TravelNevada has been using a “Don’t Fence Me In” campaign, featuring a custom rendition of the famous cowboy song recorded by The Killers, to market tourism — Nevada’s No. 1 industry.

Creating solid business development opportunities within the lucrative international travel market is the focus of the Governor’s Global Tourism Summit, Nov. 16-17 at Hilton Lake Las Vegas.

The conference, presented by the Nevada Division of Tourism, includes the Nevada Marketplace, where Nevada tourism professionals meet one-on-one with more than 40 international travel agents, wholesale partners and airline representatives.

The Nevada Division of Tourism will present its inaugural Governor’s Global Tourism Summit in November, featuring keynote speaker Chris Thompson, president and CEO of Brand USA, Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison announced Thursday.

The Global Tourism Summit is the evolution of the long-running Governor’s Conference on Tourism, and will take place at the Hilton Lake Las Vegas Nov. 16-17.

The Nevada Division of Tourism, also known as TravelNevada, recognized outstanding members of the state’s rural tourism industry Thursday, April 16 at the VolunTourism Awards dinner at the Carson Valley Inn. The annual event was part of the state’s 25th Rural Roundup tourism conference.

Nevada businesses and destinations attending the Governor’s Conference on Tourism, Oct. 27-29, will have the opportunity to meet with nearly 40 tour operators, receptive operators, wholesalers, and airlines from around the world at the conference’s ever-popular sales marketplace.

Many events are scheduled throughout the Silver State in the month of May. These Nevada 150 events help celebrate all things Nevada and bring awareness to the state’s 150th Anniversary of Statehood. The following are events held between May 2 and May 15.