Reno-Sparks tourism tops 5 million mark

RENO — The number of visitors to Reno-Sparks and Washoe County over the past year topped the 5 million mark for the first time since 2007.

The Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority and area policymakers cite several factors for the increased visitation for fiscal year 2017, the Reno Gazette Journal reports . They range from a strong U.S. economy to a renewed push to market the Reno-Tahoe area and buzz from the arrival of high-profile companies such as Apple, Google and Tesla.

When the visitors authority started tracking guests in 2002, the area was in the midst of an economic boom that saw nearly 5.7 million tourists. Once the housing bubble popped five years later amid a nationwide recession, tourism took a big hit.

Visitor counts fell by nearly a quarter to as low as 4.3 million in 2011.

Gov. Brian Sandoval is among those who say the new numbers validate Nevada’s economic recovery.

“We’re in the midst of a renaissance right now, but what’s important is that it’s sustainable,” Sandoval said.

The visitors authority gained some stability with the selection of a new CEO in 2016, former Safari Club chief Phil DeLone.

It also recently decided to address concerns about its venues underperforming by hiring professional third-party management firm SMG Worldwide Entertainment to oversee facilities such as the Reno-Sparks Convention Center and National Bowling Stadium. Besides managing convention centers, SMG oversees the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans and NRG Stadium in Houston.

Big deals the visitors authority recently landed include the return of the Safari Club International convention — the biggest trade show ever held in Reno — after it left for an extended stint in Las Vegas.

It also managed to take the Interbike convention from its traditional home of Las Vegas and bring it to Reno-Tahoe for the first time. The bicycle trade show has seen attendance drop in recent years after hitting 25,000 participants in 2015 but is projected to either rival or surpass Safari Club numbers for its upcoming show.