74°F
weather icon Clear

Chamber looking at 10-year tourism plan

What will Boulder City’s tourism base look like 10 years from now?

That’s a question the Boulder City Chamber of Commerce is hoping to answer over the next seven months to guide them in developing a 10-year tourism strategy plan for Boulder City.

The chamber was awarded a consulting contract through a Destination Development 3D grant by the Nevada Commission on Tourism/Travel Nevada, for the services of Better Destinations and Nichols Tourism Group. This is to assist the tourism stakeholders of Boulder City in crafting a 10-year plan to guide local leaders on what is best for Boulder City tourism.

Last Wednesday, the chamber hosted a meeting with the intent of gathering a broad range of ideas from stakeholders as well as the public in general.

“It’s key that everyone’s voices are heard,” Chamber President/CEO Jill Rowland-Lagan told those in attendance.

The 3D (destination, development, demonstration) project jump starts Travel Nevada’s brand-new focus on destination development to expand the state’s tourism infrastructure and build rural economies by attracting more traveler spending. In all, six communities were chosen.

Prior to the meeting, Rowland-Lagan said, “The Destination Development programming will assist rural communities fill in the gaps that currently exist. It will more formally prepare their tourism efforts allowing for everyone to row in the same direction. It will also better leverage Travel Nevada’s rural marketing grant awards meant to attract and extend room night stays in Nevada. The result is a vastly better tourism experience and more responsible use of tax dollars for the entire state of Nevada.”

A steering committee has been created and will represent the stakeholders’ interests in future planning sessions. There will be a general public meeting at the end of the process to discuss the findings. Then, once the consultants have all the data and discussions that they are looking for, they will write the plan that will then guide the chamber through the next decade.

“For a long time, those in the industry have focused on the marketing and promotion side of the equation and we took our product as a given,” said Mitch Nichols, of Nichols Tourism Group, who was in attendance at the meeting. “The challenge for an organization like Jill’s was, who and how do we market that to? Recently, we’ve become much more strategic and part of that equation is, we need to have a more proactive role in the types of products and experiences that the destination is serving up.”

Nichols said in order for the 10-year plan to be successful, it has to be a team effort with a wide variety of perspectives and ideas, which is what the steering committee will bring to the project.

Nichols later said that like many smaller communities, Boulder City is a magnet for day visitors, whether it’s those going to the lake, attending a community event or just looking for a place to have lunch and walk around town while visiting various shops. That’s backed up by the Chamber’s theme of “A World Away for a Day.” But as the community moves forward, he said a different approach may be needed.

“The whole thought process is, as we add new experiences and products to the Boulder City environment, we’ve got to convince these folks that we’re not just a day visit, but you need to stay overnight, spending money on hotels and dinner, while turning this in to a two or three-day experience,” Nichols said.

MOST READ
THE LATEST
Hanson looks to continue Inabnitt’s legacy

With the retirement of former Animal Control Supervisor Ann Inabnitt, Brendan Hanson acknowledges that there will never be another Ann. However, he feels prepared, capable, and eager to do his best in his new role as the Boulder City Animal Control supervisor, building on the strong foundation Inabnitt built and is excited to continue her legacy.

Tract 350 set to take another step forward

The next step in finally realizing the decade-and-a-half-long plan for a housing development butting up against the Boulder Creek Golf Course is set to happen in the city council meeting scheduled for next week.

Does Deputy Dan ring a bell?

With nicknames such as Officer Dummy, Deputy Dan, Officer Wood, and even Latex Larry, many Boulder City residents still remember seeing him parked and on duty.

Helmets and e-bikes: Council opts to take educational approach

In a discussion with no real action attached, the city council spent a substantial part of last week’s meeting talking about the scourge of e-bikes and electric scooters on Boulder City streets. More specifically, the discussion centered on whether the city can — or should — mandate that users of these powered devices wear helmets.

Grace Christian Academy turns 25

For the past quarter century, Grace Christian Academy has offered its students traditional curriculum but, in their case, the four Rs – reading, writing, arithmetic and religion.

Council tees up multiple pet issues

Long-running issues involving pets in Boulder City are about to heat up again as three resolutions were introduced at this Tuesday’s council meeting. Resolutions have to be introduced in a meeting prior to them being discussed or voted on. These resolutions are scheduled to be discussed and acted upon in the council’s Feb. 25 meeting.

City continues dark-sky initiative

When driving around town, some may have noticed that many of the city’s street lights have a different look to them.

Airport development readies for takeoff

The city council discussed and provided direction to city staff Tuesday on a plan to develop additional hangars at the Boulder City Municipal Airport as well as development of a larger area for multiple uses including additional hangars.

Downtown Disney

This past Saturday, more than 200 people donned their best Disney outfits for the monthly Wine Walk, hosted by the Boulder City Chamber of Commerce. There were nearly two dozen downtown locations for attendees to stop for wine, including those pictured at the Boulder City Company Store, Beer Zombies and Hangar 502. Each walk has a theme, with the next being March 8 with the theme of Vegas Golden Knights.

Removed city gate causes concern

On Jan. 28, School Resource Officer Eric Prunty, who is assigned to BCHS by the Boulder City Police Department but also serves the three other public schools, contacted Garrett Junior High Principal Melanie Teemant regarding “a campus security issue.”