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RENO – Travel Nevada, in collaboration with the Nevada Small Business Development Center (SBDC), announced the second annual Rural Entrepreneurial Tourism Program and Pitch Competition on April 10, 2025. This initiative is designed to support rural tourism startups and existing businesses eager to expand their business models.
The emphasis on this year’s initiative is on supporting new or expanding outdoor recreation businesses in rural Nevada. Prospective outdoor recreation entrepreneurs will engage in virtual educational sessions March 7-9, 2025, followed by the opportunity to craft their pitch and present live at Travel Nevada’s Rural Roundup Conference. Rural Roundup brings together professionals from Nevada’s tourism industry for hands-on workshops, networking, and educational sessions and is the perfect opportunity for small business owners to connect and network with tourism industry professionals.
The competition offers rural entrepreneurs an opportunity to pitch their innovative ideas to enhance tourism in rural Nevada. By encouraging creative solutions in outdoor recreation, the program helps grow rural tourism and supports business growth across the state. The winner will receive seed money in the amount of $20,000 to help kickstart their business venture.
“The Rural Tourism Pitch Competition enables entrepreneurs to bring their tourism ideas to life, benefiting both their rural communities and the Nevada tourism industry,” said Rafael Villanueva, CEO, Travel Nevada. “We’re excited to align this year’s theme with our efforts to further promote outdoor recreation as another reason to visit Nevada.”
Entrepreneurs will participate in two days of virtual training, covering essential topics such as business finance, marketing, brand development, emerging trends, stewardship, risk management, storytelling, and pitching. Industry leaders from Leave No Trace, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, the Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation (NDOR) and other tourism professionals will share valuable insights to help entrepreneurs fine-tune their ideas.
Those who complete the program will be eligible to pitch for a chance to receive up to $20,000 in funding from Travel Nevada to launch or grow their business. Last year, Lotspeich Family Farm was awarded the first-place prize for their vision of a community-focused pumpkin patch, promoting agritourism in rural Nevada. Travel Nevada’s funding helped them launch their pumpkin patch, which opened in September 2024.
Rural Nevada entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply at no cost by March 7, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST) at https://nsbdc.ecenterdirect.com/events/4875.