Nevada tourism division creates 'Field Trip Fund' to spur in-state travel

The Nevada Division of Tourism’s annual “Discover Your Nevada” program has officially kicked off with a new incentive for Nevadans to explore their state, Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison announced earlier this month. That incentive is a Field Trip Fund benefitting Silver State students.

“In years past, we have focused this program on educating Nevadans about all the spectacular experiences they can have by traveling their own state,” Hutchison, Nevada Commission on Tourism chair, said. “This year we are moving from education to action, spurring travel by adding a way Nevadans can earn money for students to explore the state as well.”

Travelers who “check in” via social media on one of six routes around the state from Memorial Day through Labor Day will earn $1 toward a Field Trip Fund established in cooperation with the Nevada Division of Tourism and the Nevada Department of Education. In the fall, the Department of Education will conduct an essay contest among eighth-grade students to award the ultimate end-of-year field trip to the winning student or class.

“Travel is as much a learning tool as anything else, and we believe that there is a natural intersection between what the Division of Tourism — TravelNevada — does and what our state’s educators do,” Claudia Vecchio, director of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, said. “We use the Discover Your Nevada campaign to educate Nevadans on the wonderful history and culture and adventure their state has to offer. Why not extend that element of education to benefit our students?”

The national average for in-state travel is 51 percent. However, Nevada’s in-state travel is only 6.7 percent, meaning that most Nevadans are traveling out of state for their weekend getaways and vacations. Discover Your Nevada was created in 2013 to stimulate travel in Nevada by Nevadans.

This year’s campaign will feature six road-trip routes. When travelers drive these routes and “check in” at a designated point on each route via Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #DiscoverNV16 and posting a photo or tip for that location – or on Facebook through TravelNevada’s Facebook page – they will earn $1 for the Field Trip Fund. Each traveler could earn up to $6 for the fund by traveling each of the six routes. Contributions to the fund by the Nevada Division of Tourism will be capped at $15,000, although the division encourages private businesses to develop their own travel promotions and donate to the fund as well.

The Division of Tourism and the Department of Education will wrap up the campaign with an essay contest in the 2016-17 school year. The winning student or class will be awarded the ultimate field trip – an educational road trip in Nevada.

“Field trips are an essential part of the school experience, providing a tangible, hand-on learning tool that can bring a lesson to life,” said Steve Canavero, Ph.D., Nevada Superintendent of Public Instruction. “This campaign will allow us to provide an unforgettable field trip that will bring Nevada’s history out of the classroom and into real life.”

The Routes
The Loneliest Road in America – Fernley to Ely with a spur to Great Basin National Park
Check-in location: Eureka Opera House

NV 95: Free-Range Art – Las Vegas to Tonopah via Highway 95 with a detour to the Seven Magic Mountains art installation on Interstate 15
Check-in location: Goldwell Open Air Museum, Rhyolite

Burner Byway – Reno to the Black Rock Desert
Check-in location: Guru Road, near Gerlach

The Extraterrestrial Highway – State Route 375
Check-in location: The Little A’Le’Inn, Rachel

The Rubies Route – the Lamoille Scenic Byway via state routes 227 and 229
Check-in location: Anywhere along the route

Great Basin Highway – U.S. Highway 93 from Las Vegas to Ely with a focus on state parks, and a detour to Great Basin National Park
Check-in location: Cathedral Gorge State Park

Campaign information and contest rules can be found here and on TravelNevada’s Facebook page.