Nevada Tribal Tourism Conference set to begin

The sixth annual Nevada Tribal Tourism Conference begins Tuesday and runs for three days at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino.

The theme is “Tourism: Empowering Native Voices,” and the event will cover native tribes’ strengths in telling their stories from their perspectives by using their authentic voices.

“The rich cultural heritage we possess enhances the Nevada experience and the leading industry in the state,” said Sherry Rupert, executive director of the Nevada Indian Commission. She said in a commission and Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs news release that tourism is one of the ways the state’s tribes can share who they are with the world.

The conference is designed to help local tribes incorporate best practices and innovative techniques in tourism to help visitors experience tribal life in various ways, according to the joint release. It said visitors’ economic investment can empower native peoples and aid in perpetuating diverse cultures.

Guest speakers will include Garet Couch, president of the National Tribal Geographic Information Support Center; Donna Cossette, director of the Churchill County Museum; and Roger Saterstrom, product manger for Tauck Inc., a tourism firm. On the final conference day, April 24, a bus tour is offered to Meeks Bay, a tribal tourism business on Lake Tahoe’s west shore. It will include a stop at Cave Rock on the lake’s east side.