Carson City, Carson Valley and Virginia City among partners to build visitor appeal through destination development program
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Wed, 12/21/2022 - 8:37am
Travel Nevada has selected six proposed projects to develop new experiences for visitors across the state through its new Destination Development Demonstration (3D) Program. Starting in January, the chosen projects will begin receiving expert consulting services to help them create 10-year plans to develop their appeal to visitors and expand their economies through tourism.
The six projects will be completed in two phases, with all ultimately qualifying for a share of a $2 million fund to turn their plans into action.
“Growing and developing Nevada’s tourism infrastructure leads to new opportunities within the industry and makes positive impacts both directly and indirectly on the state’s economy. Investing in destination development creates new jobs, provides increased quality of life, and elevates community pride,” said Brenda Scolari, Director, Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs. “I applaud the stakeholders who came together to dream about what tourism could look like in their community and will continue to support them as they put those dreams on paper. I look forward to watching these projects as their strategic plans take shape.”
Chosen projects include:
Phase 1 – Plans to be completed between January 2023 and August 2023:
White Pine County: a plan will be developed to position the county as the year-round basecamp for outdoor recreation when exploring eastern Nevada.
Friends of Black Rock: this non-profit organization plans to build a Black Rock Country Welcome Center that celebrates its tourism assets and leans into the area’s unique and colorful history.
Lincoln County: Building on earlier planning work, the county is seeking to increase community support for funding and technical assistance, capitalize on existing assets, and enhance and expand tourism services, amenities, and wayfinding.
Phase 2 – Plans to be completed between September 2023 and April 2024:
Nevada’s Indian Territory: The project will aim at strengthening cultural awareness and identity and establish itineraries and tours representative of Great Basin Tribes for domestic and international travelers.
Carson City/Carson Valley/Virginia City: these three communities will come together to create a compelling visitor experience around their shared arts and culture attractions, galleries, and studios and create opportunities to connect local artisans with visitors.
Boulder City: The city will position itself as a hub for visitors of all ages and abilities, especially visitors from Las Vegas, to connect with outdoor adventure opportunities throughout the region.
"By creating so many new reasons for visitors to explore the state, Travel Nevada is taking a highly productive and innovative approach to spark economic development," said Cathy Ritter, Founder & CEO of Better Destinations, which is guiding the 3D planning work. "Their competitive process yielded six compelling opportunities to build the state's appeal for visitors while supporting important goals for each participating destination. Because each project has access to funding to activate their concepts, these plans won't sit on a shelf."
To foster collaboration throughout the planning process, each of the six 3D projects will be guided by a local steering committee representing local business and community stakeholders with an interest in advancing tourism. Each project's planning process will unfold over 32 weeks, culminating in a plan mapping implementation of their concept over the next 10 years.
Upon completion of their plans, 3D Program participants will be allocated funding from a $2 million EDA-funded grant program to implement their plan.
For more information on the 3D Program, click here.
