Scholarships
Tourism Conference Scholarship
Each year the Nebraska Tourism Commission hosts the Nebraska Tourism Conference to help tourism industry professionals learn how to get the most out of their tourism operation, gain the latest industry knowledge, hear fresh marketing ideas, find greater financial opportunities and network with potential partners. The 2023 Conference is scheduled October 17–19th at the Gearing Civic Center in Gearing, Nebraska.
Visit North Platte believes strongly in the tourism industry opportunities available for Lincoln County. As part of our commitment to continuing to help grow the tourism product offered in Lincoln County, we are offering three scholarships in the amount of $500 each to help defray the cost of Lincoln County entrepreneurs attending this conference.
Reimbursable expenses include travel conference registration, lodging (not to exceed two nights), meals not included in the Tourism Conference program, and mileage to and from the conference. The scholarship is a stipend and is not intended to cover all costs associated with attending the conference.
Applicants must complete an application and include up to three typed pages of information with answers to the following: Statement of financial need; number of years they have attended the Nebraska Tourism Conference; statement explaining existing or future tourism organization/business; statement explaining how attending the Nebraska Tourism Conference will benefit them and/or their organization/business. In addition, applicants agree to provide a written summary to Visit North Platte detailing what they learned at the conference and how their tourism business/organization will benefit.
Applications are no longer being accepted for this scholarship. This page will be updated when the next scholarship cycle begins.
Agritourism Conference Scholarship
Each year, Nebraska Tourism hosts a workshop aimed at helping Nebraskans start, grow and market successful agritourism, ecotourism, and/or adventure travel businesses. Attendees learn from experts about a variety of subject matter and have the opportunity to connect with resource providers throughout the state. This year, they are combining the event with GROW Nebraska’s MarkeTech Conference.
Scholarship opportunities are not available for this conference quite yet, but will be posted here when they are!
Visit North Platte is offering two scholarships of up to $400 each for Lincoln County tourism entities interested in starting or growing a successful agritourism, ecotourism, or adventure travel business. Typical attendees include farmers, ranchers, outfitters, vineyard operators, brewers, upick operators, managers of ecotourism, agritourism or adventure attractions and others.
Visitors want to experience what we sometimes take for granted here in Nebraska – our wide-open spaces, our beautiful dark skies, our rich farming and ranching heritage, our abundant outdoor recreation opportunities. Agritourism is one of the fastest growing segments of the tourism industry. Couple those with the emerging trend of “farm to table” culinary tourism and you’ve got a recipe for success for rural Nebraska. You don’t have to own a working farm or ranch to participate in agritourism. North Platte’s Dusty Trails has been making a living in the adventure tourism field for years, partnering with the Buffalo Bill Ranch State Recreation Area to offer tanking and tubing on the Platte River as well as horseback rides. Other examples of agritourism include a winery, brewery, or cheese making operation; opening land to hiking, birdwatching, photography, or stargazing; guiding local birdwatching excursions; Sandhill or canyon tours; rural winery/brewery/distillery tours; A restaurant that incorporates locally sourced produce; hunting; farm stays or tours. The possibilities truly are endless!
Visit North Platte believes strongly in the opportunities available in agritourism for Lincoln County. As part of our commitment to continuing to help grow the rural tourism product offered in Lincoln County, these scholarships will help defray the cost of Lincoln County entrepreneurs attending this workshop. The scholarships are a stipend and not intended to cover all costs associated with the conference but are reimbursements to cover the cost of conference registration, lodging, meals, and travel.
Applicants must complete an application and include up to three typed pages of information with answers to the following: Statement of financial need; number of years they have attended the Nebraska Agritourism Workshop in the past; statement explaining existing or future tourism organization/business; statement explaining how attending the Nebraska Agritourism Travel Workshop will benefit them and/or their organization/business. In addition, applicants agree to provide a written summary to Visit North Platte detailing what they learned at the workshop and how their tourism business/organization will benefit.