Carson City’s visitors bureau website altered

Carson City’s new website to lure tourists has launched, the bureau that launched it expects more revenue this year, and a transitional marketing committee for city tourism was dissolved Monday.

Those were among the top developments at a Carson City Convention & Visitors Bureau board meeting in which Joel Dunn, the bureau’s director, reported the website launch and imminent startup of a mobile app, as the vernacular goes, to attract visitors to Nevada’s capital and the region. The site launched over the past weekend.

“It’s a great site,” Dunn said. “It’s creating that SEO (search engine optimization) that we need.”

He also touted the mobile application that will come soon because of the ability it will have to reach potential visitors. He said it should be operational within a week, if not sooner.

“The amount of content is mindboggling on our mobile app,” said Dunn. Among the items on the mobile app, he said, are lodging properties, restaurants, other attractions and outdoor opportunities such as trails.

Dunn said another step planned later is a $10,000 “augmented reality” method of reaching out to prospective visitors via modern media. He also reported the visitors bureau office had been revamped during December and now complements the overhauled marketing image.

Regarding the current fiscal year’s revenue and budget picture, Dunn told the board’s five members the bureau’s revenues will exceed earlier projections because lodging is inching up as the economic recovery takes hold. On the master portion of the budget, revenue will be $1.3 million, rather than $1.1 million; on the overall budget he expects the year to end with $2.2 million revenues total, compared with $1.9 million that had been expected.

The board voted 4-1 to dissolve the marketing committee at Dunn’s urging. Only member Stephen Lincoln objected, citing a need for transparency and additional aspects.

“We just need another set of checks and balances,” he said.

Chairman Jonathan Boulware, however, said the marketing committee was for transitional purposes and the board can function well without a sub-unit that might slow things down.

“We’re moving in the right direction,” he said.