Destinations

From Neon To Nature, Nevada Has It All

Celebrating the official launch of a new TravelNevada office in Canada last night (Sept. 20), tourism officials stressed that their challenge is to get the word out that Nevada is much more than just Las Vegas.

And while Vegas is certainly the state’s most iconic destination, and only one with direct flights from Canada, Chris Moran, public relations specialist with the Nevada Division of Tourism (TravelNevada), told PressToday that rural Nevada has much more to offer, especially to those that love nature and the outdoors.

“We recognize that Las Vegas is the main entry point, but we must raise awareness on what else there is to do in Nevada,” she said. “Within an hour, there’s lots to do and see, including Lake Meade, the Valley of Fire and Mount Charleston [known for its skiing and hiking experiences]. Native American culture is also very prominent.”

Christian Passink (pictured top), international sales manager with TravelNevada, said they like to sell “neon to nature” and after seeing The Strip encourages visitors to get out and see the real Nevada, home to 23 state parks, hundreds of hot springs, more than 600 ghost towns and Hwy. 50, described as the loneliest road in America. Many may not know that it is also the most mountainous state in the US.

“There’s a lot more than just Vegas, a lot more than just desert,” said Passink of Nevada which borders five other states in the American West. “It’s easy to create a unique itinerary. We have a colourful history and there are a lot of great museums.”

He added that they’re lucky to have Las Vegas and its brand recognition, but stressed there is much more to see.

“The challenge is to get the word out that we’re much more than Vegas,” he said.

TravelNevada is represented by Pulse Communications and Travel Marketing Inc. in Canada — http://www.pulsecommunications.ca.

(http://www.travelnevada.com)