Nevada is closing a tourism office that it's operated in China since 2004.
The state Board of Examiners voted Tuesday to approve $52,000 in severance costs for the Beijing office's longtime director and two other staff members. The office is scheduled to be phased out through the end of 2015 in what's described as a "complicated process."
State tourism director Claudia Vecchio described the move as a restructuring, and said new tourism efforts in China expected to launch next summer would be less government-centric and reflect an evolving Chinese tourism landscape.
Nevada was the first state granted a license to open an official tourism promotion office in Beijing. Vecchio said Chinese and Nevadan officials had differences of opinion and Nevada officials determined it would be best to close the office.
