What is the Tahoe Douglas Visitors Authority?

The Tahoe Douglas Visitors Authority, a Nevada public agency, was created by the Nevada Legislature in June of 1997 with the passage of Assembly Bill 616 (The Tahoe-Douglas Visitors Authority Act). The legislation was signed by Governor Bob Miller in July, 1997, with initial revenues – a new 1% added to Douglas County room tax collected at Lake Tahoe – effective October 1,1997. A room tax revenue-sharing formula between TDVA and Douglas County as set forth in the Act became effective as of July 1, 1999.

In adopting the Tahoe-Douglas Visitors Authority Act, the Legislature stated that (section 2.1):
“The necessity for this act results from:
(a) The declining revenues generated by tourism in the Tahoe Township of Douglas County;
(b) The geographical location of the township on the border of the densely populated State of California;
(c) The natural attractions of the township and its availability to tourists; and
(d) The atypical financial problems of the township resulting from the foregoing and other singular factors.”

The Authority was created to address the problems and needs of the Township, which before the Act’s adoption had been experiencing a decline in tourism and tourism revenues. The decline in tourism effected overall financial difficulties for the Township. In an effort to boost tourism, the Act was passed to create the Authority and impose an occupancy tax on hotel room rentals in the County. The act allocates a portion of these occupancy-tax revenues to the Authority to use for two purposes; first, for advertising, publicizing and promoting tourism and recreation in the Township; second, to spend the allocated proceeds on planning, construction and operation of a multi-use events and convention center in the Township.