Domestic, outdoorsy, diverse and easily accessible seem to be the keywords for travel for the foreseeable future and are part of what drew Charles Harris to move from his position as chief marketing officer for Visit Anaheim to becoming CEO of the Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority in Nevada last November in the middle of a pandemic.

After seven years in Anaheim, said Harris, he saw a lot of potential in the type of destination that he sees as being highly appealing post-pandemic. He cited a recent talk by Roger Dow, CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, who said of the Reno Tahoe region: “The outdoors is winning, so you’ve got a great story to tell.” Dow added, “When you really look at it, you’re in a very unique position, I think. You’ve got Lake Tahoe nearby, you’ve got the Sierra Nevada mountains, you’ve got the largest number of ski areas in North America...”

With all that – plus gaming, fine dining and more – Harris said there is tremendous opportunity for travel advisors who have clients looking for a holiday they may not have previously considered. “It’s eye opening,” he said, “to see what locals have been raving about for a long time.” He said the destination already has positive name recognition, noting, “When you have Reno and Tahoe in your name you’re in good shape. We have a chance to elevate what we have done here.”

Reno has long called itself “The Biggest Little City in the World” and that status has attracted technology giants like Tesla, Google and Blockchains, which have moved into the area, creating a heightened energy and a boosted economy. The city also boasts hundreds of colorful murals on buildings all around town, the Truckee River bringing a splash of nature in the heart of the city, snow-capped winters and warm summers.

The Tahoe region lays claim to the highest concentration of world-class ski resorts in North America, offering more than 180 lifts and 500 runs, open from Thanksgiving often through July 4th. “I’m an outdoors guy,” said Harris, noting that aside from some of the best winter skiing in the country, the region is ideal for hiking and water activities in and around Lake Tahoe in summer.

And, of course, there is gaming. “If you want to gamble,” said Harris, “there are plenty of options. It’s part of our fabric.” Casinos mean large hotels, like the three Caesar’s properties in town, quality restaurants and an international airport.

For meetings, the city offers more than a million square feet of space, including the 600,000 square-foot Reno-Sparks Convention Center.

There is a robust annual events calendar with highlights that include the Reno Rodeo, Reno River Festival , Artown and the Great Reno Balloon Race . And many fans of the Burning Man cultural festival pass through Reno on their way to that massive event.

Reno is becoming easier to reach by air – with multiple new flight services operating into the city and a total of 10 carriers serving the airport. Among them are daily nonstop flights from Charlotte (beginning June 3); JSX (a regional carrier) now operating four-times-weekly to Orange County; United returning nonstop daily service last December to Houston; resumption of Southwest’s seasonal nonstop daily flights to Dallas; new service to Orange County on Allegiant Airlines; and new seasonal service to Seattle on Southwest.

Calling himself “a recovering sports management executive” (he has worked in public relations for the Los Angeles Dodgers, among other sports management jobs), Harris said there is great potential for sports in Reno with a Triple A baseball team and a hockey facility. Recently, several National Hockey Leagues games were played outdoors in the city. Harris said that running a sports team is similar to operating a CVB with the goal of putting “fans in seats or heads in beds.”

During his time in Anaheim, said Harris, that city saw a major expansion of its convention center and hosted the last in-person IPW – the inbound travel show operated by U.S. Travel Association . With that event coming – live – to Las Vegas in September, Harris sees it as an opportunity to show Reno off to international tour operators and to the travel trade in general.

Says Harris, “I’m excited about the potential and looking forward to recovery as we work to elevate the experience at an already great destination.”