Nevada's tourism industry was hit hard during the recession. Now, as the Silver State rebuilds its economy, the tourism industry is rebuilding too, but it's looking pretty different.
The biggest change is that gaming isn't enough to support a full tourism industry now. Our state tourism director says ideally they'd like gaming to bring in about 30% of our tourists - and the overall Nevada experience to bring in the other 70%.
That means crafting new messages and marketing our state to different people specifically to millennials.
"We are really looking at the way millennials travel, as a key market for us, the way Baby Boomers and Gen Xers are evolving their travel, and really what these people are looking for in a total experience,” says Claudia Vecchio, Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs.
Vecchio says what they're finding is more tourists are looking for quick, spontaneous trips with lots of different experiences. And she says that plays well to Northern Nevada's strengths.
And while most of our tourists still come from California and the western region, they think there's a lot of potential for growth overseas.
"We have offices in 10 international countries, including in North America, South America, some European countries, plus Asia and Australia. And they all travel differently, but they all are very interested in Nevada."
To see the full interview, just tune in or set your DVR for Face the State this weekend. It's airing tomorrow at 4:30 am and 4:30 pm and on Sunday at 6:30 am and 4:30 pm.
