The Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center stands in Gardnerville. The former Douglas County High School also houses offices for the Carson Valley Visitors Authority and the Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Visit Carson Valley was awarded a $77,023 rural marketing grant from Travel Nevada to support key tourism initiatives during the 2025-2026 fiscal year.
“This grant provides critical support in our efforts to market Carson Valley as a must-visit destination,” said Carson Valley Visitors Authority Executive Director Keith Lewis. “We appreciate Travel Nevada for allocating the grant funding to our effort, but also for their ongoing commitment to making this program accessible and impactful for rural communities. This partnership directly benefits our community by strengthening tourism and supporting local businesses.”
Each year, Travel Nevada makes $1.5 million available through this grant program to help rural communities, such as Carson Valley, attract visitors, generate room tax revenue, and support local economies.
The awarded funds directly support the tourism authority’s digital advertising campaigns, travel trade development, educational opportunities, a full rebrand of the Mobile Visitor Center, and continued development of photo and video content through visual storytelling partnership with First Track Productions. These targeted efforts are designed to expand awareness of Carson Valley’s lodging, dining, outdoor recreation, and art/cultural offerings and generate room tax revenue and support the region’s economic vitality.
By covering the cost of core marketing priorities, the grant allows Visit Carson Valley to allocate general fund dollars toward new and emerging initiatives. For the 2025-2026 fiscal year, this includes implementing tools like Mindtrip AI, a trip planning assistant that will be integrated into the VisitCarson
Valley.org website to provide customers with the opportunity to create real-time, customized itineraries; Bandwango, a digital passport platform designed to encourage exploration of local businesses through interactive experience passes; and expanding a partnership with Expedia to increase reach in promoting Carson Valley’s lodging properties.
The Rural Marketing Grant requires a 50 percent local match, making it a true collaborative investment between Visit Carson Valley and the State of Nevada in the future of responsible, sustainable tourism.