They've read about our state in the China Daily in Beijing, the Shanghai Morning Post, and the Shanghai Times, and in specialty publications like Bride Magazine China, Traveller Magazine of Shanghai and on sohu.com.

Many of the journalists from those publications got their first glimpse of Nevada from the state's government-regulated tourism office that opened in Beijing in June 2004.

Well, maybe the second glimpse. The popular 1960s-era television show "Bonanza" is still popular on some Chinese television stations and the Hollywood version of Virginia City remains fresh in the minds of would-be visitors.

Two years after the Beijing office opened, Nevada remains the only U.S. entity to have a government-sanctioned tourism presence in China.

The world's fastest-growing economy has about 1.4 billion people and a middle class of about 300 million people ready and willing to travel. If Nevada can capture only a fraction of that total, all its marketing efforts will have been worthwhile.

The Nevada Commission on Tourism has tracked the value of free media generated in China — a common practice among tourism organizations. In Fiscal Year 2004, the value of media generated about Nevada was estimated at $58,444.

Then, the tourism office opened. In Fiscal Year 2005, the value jumped to $799,020. In Fiscal Year 2006, which ended in June, the value of stories produced in Chinese media had grown to $1.8 million.

Many of the stories generated by Chinese publications have occurred as a result of familiarization trips, commonly known as "fam trips." While media usually are required to pay their own way to and from Nevada, the Commission on Tourism organizes trips to visit local attractions. Normally, a resort or attraction will offer complimentary stays. That usually assures the host property of at least a mention in the story that is generated.

The most recent fam trip, a five-day visit, wrapped up last week with 13 media and travel agency representatives visiting Las Vegas. Twenty sponsors played host to the contingent and the group's outings included visits to Madame Tussaud's at the Venetian, a Pink Jeep tour of Southern Nevada's back country, shopping at Las Vegas Premium Outlets and a visit to the Atomic Testing Museum. The publisher of a Chinese golf magazine also played a round at the Rio Secco Golf Club.

One of the concluding events was a lunch at the Bootlegger, the Italian restaurant owned by Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt's family. Hunt, who chairs the Commission on Tourism as part of her responsibilities as lieutenant governor, was a gracious host for the event and marveled at how far Nevada has come in its efforts to draw visitors to the state.

"When we started thinking about China, people said to me, 'Don't do it, Lorraine. It's too early for anybody to start marketing in China.' Well, we went ahead with it and I guess we were ahead of our time because look at how far we've come," she said.

Now, Hunt and the commission are trying to prevent the momentum they have built from dying.

Last week, Bruce Bommarito, the director of the Commission on Tourism, gave notice that he is taking a job with the Travel Industry Association and will start his Washington job in early December. Bommarito was one of the ramrods behind Nevada's China initiative and opened several doors that ultimately led to the establishment of the Beijing office.

With the TIA, he'll be doing for the United States what he's been doing for Nevada.

Hunt, whose term as lieutenant governor ends in early January, hopes to get a new tourism director on board before she leaves office.

The Tourism Commission was scheduled to meet Thursday to begin the process of replacing Bommarito. Hunt said the commission is expected to come up with the names of three prospective replacements and submit them to the governor.

The commission also was expected to name an interim director. A deputy director for the commission, Steve Woodbury, just took that position a month ago and at the time of this writing, commission officials were uncertain as to whether the interim post would be turned over to Woodbury.

Hunt said she hopes the commission will submit prospective names to Gov. Kenny Guinn instead of his successor, either Republican gubernatorial hopeful Jim Gibbons or Democratic candidate Dina Titus.

Hunt lost a bitter gubernatorial campaign against Gibbons, but would still rather see someone from her own party make the selection. She's afraid that if the appointment were left to the new governor that it would get bogged down with all the other major appointments that have to be made.

"We have too much going for us right now," Hunt said. "We can't afford to lose the momentum we have going."

Hunt also said despite the work she's done to boost tourism that she doesn't have the background to be the next commission director.

The doctor is in: The Las Vegas convention industry is making inroads on attracting medical conventions to town.

While millions of conventioneers have made their way to the city, the medical profession has been less likely to meet here. Some say it's because medical professionals don't want to tarnish their images on a destination as raucous as Las Vegas, while others say there are more educational opportunities in places like Boston and Washington for big medical conventions.

But the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority says they have a new diagnosis and that a record number of medical practitioners were in Las Vegas at 16 different medical events between Oct. 15-25.

Chris Meyer, vice president of convention center sales for the LVCVA, said more than 81,000 delegates were in town during the 10-day period and that the 16 medical shows in October represented a record of sorts. Nine of the shows were new to Las Vegas.

Tourism leaders like to host conventions involving professional organizations because the delegates tend to spend more when they stay.

Allegiant to Palm Springs: Seasonal service will return on Allegiant Air to Palm Springs, Calif., in January.

The Las Vegas-based airline will offer two flights a week with Wednesday and Saturday departures at 2:50 p.m., arriving in Palm Springs at 3:40 and the return flight leaving at 3:25 and arriving at McCarran International Airport at 4:15.

Allegiant also will try something new in January — round trips between Bellingham, Wash., and Palm Springs.

The Las Vegas-Palm Springs flights are going for as low as $29 one way if reservations are booked by Nov. 4.