Strategic Plan

Transcription

1 Strategic Plan Goals (developed by Visit Tucson s board of directors) Goal #1: Relentlessly promote Tucson s designation as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy and build on Visit Tucson s Free Yourself brand Goal #2: Use innovative and aggressive marketing strategies to generate increased leisure and meetings travel Goal #3: Engage the community through the development of a tourism master plan Goal #4: Promote and grow the region s visitor-worthy events and establish a marquee event to attract travelers Goal #5: Enlarge Visit Tucson s budget with a focus on sustainable funding sources Objectives (developed by Visit Tucson s board of directors) Goal #1: Relentlessly promote Tucson s designation as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy and build on Visit Tucson s Free Yourself brand Strengthen gastronomy position Build and expand on Free Yourself brand Grow Mexico visitation Enhance and expand reach to leisure customers Develop better marketing strategies to Millennials Expand digital story-telling platform Produce effective international messaging and positioning Goal #2: Use innovative and aggressive marketing strategies to generate increased leisure and meetings travel Increase meetings business Grow international visitation Grow leisure group room nights Book more sports room nights Grow film-related direct spending Goal #3: Engage the community through the development of a tourism master plan Develop a tourism master plan Engage productively with government officials Collaborate with local/regional community and economic development groups Build community support for the value of tourism and Visit Tucson Create stronger relationships with partners/tourism-related businesses Create a community of tourism ambassadors Goal #4: Promote and grow the region s visitor-worthy events and establish a marquee event to attract travelers Grow visitation via events Create a stable and sustainable funding source to retain and attract air service Foster cultural and arts opportunities to enhance visitors experiences Goal #5: Enlarge Visit Tucson s budget with a focus on sustainable funding sources Increase Visit Tucson s funding Leverage technology to increase sales and marketing effectiveness Identify and secure the most efficient Visit Tucson office space Review bylaws

2 Goal #1 Relentlessly promote Tucson s designation as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy and build on Visit Tucson s Free Yourself brand Objective 1: Strengthen gastronomy position 1. Create a Tucson City of Gastronomy product for travelers to consume. Work with the private sector to create a Tucson UNESCO City of Gastronomy tour and possibly a Best 23 Miles of Mexican food tour, which visitors can book by fall Develop and post on VisitTucson.org by Jan. 1, 2018 suggested gastronomy itineraries for consumers. Work with the newly-formed Tucson City of Gastronomy board of directors to explore the possible creation of a gastronomy festival or event that could be staged in Create a program by June 30, 2019 that allows applicable metro Tucson businesses to use the City of Gastronomy designation in their promotion. Develop a City of Gastronomy event in Tucson by June 30, 2020 with collaboration from City of Gastronomy partners Ensenada, Mexico; Parma, Italy; Denia, Spain; and Gaziantep, Turkey. 2. Promote Tucson s City of Gastronomy designation to travel and food media. Generate $3 million in additional publicity related to the designation and culinary in general in Pitch Tucson food-related story ideas to 10 or more media participating in the Association of Food Journalists annual conference in Philadelphia in September Host or aid five journalists with food-related itineraries in Film Tucson will work to bring a televised food series or episode to Tucson by June 30, Promote Tucson in two or more niche publications and networks that target foodies in Objective 2: Build and expand on Free Yourself brand 1. Increase Visit Tucson partners utilization of Free Yourself. Provide Visit Tucson partners with Free Yourself mark and usage guidelines by April 1, 2018 with a minimum of 20 partners using Free Yourself by June 30, By April 1, 2018, develop an incentive for partners to tag their advertising with the Free Yourself mark. 2. Increase Southern Arizona economic development organizations use of Free Yourself. By Dec. 31, 2017, meet with Tucson Business Alliance (TBA) organizations, along with the Downtown Tucson Partnership, to determine their interest in making Free Yourself a citywide brand. If there is interest in widespread adoption of Free Yourself, provide the six other Tucson Business Alliance organizations, and any other metro Tucson organizations that are interested with our Free Yourself mark & usage guidelines by April 1, If there isn t interest in adopting it, determine whether there is interest in creating a new citywide brand that could be utilized throughout the region. 3. Develop creative assets to enhance brand aesthetics. In , create five or more stock photo and video assets that showcase brand experiences and adhere to brand style guidelines. Develop one new brand graphic in that embellishes upon the look and feel of Free Yourself. Objective 3: Grow Mexico visitation 1. Navigate political climate & devalued peso to grow Mexico room nights booked by Vamos a Tucson Visit Tucson by 1% in Implement a medical tourism program in metro Tucson in where services of local hospitals are marketed to customers in Mexico.

3 Goal #1 Relentlessly promote Tucson s designation as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy and build on Visit Tucson s Free Yourself brand Objective 3: Grow Mexico visitation (continued) In , maintain Aeromar s four-days-per-week service between Tucson & Hermosillo & on to multiple cities in Mexico. Increase leisure advertising expenditures in Sonora by 3% in Offer Tucson travel booking incentives in to potential customers at com and our visitor centers in Hermosillo and Ciudad Obregon, Sonora. Stage one retail-oriented trade show in Sonora for 200 or more potential visitors in By June 30, 2020, introduce a Spanish-language wayfinding program in Tucson. Execute two or more trips to Mexico in with local political and business leaders to promote travel to and trade with Tucson and Southern Arizona. Objective 4: Enhance and expand reach to leisure customers 1. Push Tucson video and messages to 5% more recipients in than in Adjust marketing plan to spend 25% or more of our budget on digital and social tactics. Invest 2% more in marketing in if Visit Tucson s budget is equal to or greater than its budget. Use 2016 Visitor Analysis results to determine most effective and efficient markets and zip codes within those markets to target our messages in Create two or more new Tucson/Southern Arizona videos and push them out via social media and other channels prior to June 30, Refine audience targeting. In , examine primary research and existing customer data to determine specific personas that represent customers who are most likely to visit. Develop content and messaging by Jan. 1, 2019 that speaks to each customer persona. 3. Utilize content marketing to target and engage leisure customers. Utilize influencer marketing, sponsored content and brand partnerships to reach customers in via sources they already know and trust. Influencer marketing refers to opinion leaders who have large blog and/or social media followings. When they speak highly of products and destinations, they influence their followers. Sponsored content, also known as native advertising, is advertising formatted as editorial, while brand partnerships refers to tying Tucson to travel-related companies and their messaging to expand the reach and credibility of our message. In , examine common search queries and develop two or more pieces of content that answers customers frequently-asked questions. Engage in content personalization in to enhance user experiences for web visitors. It is essential that we enhance the functionality of our website to better serve up stories, videos and other content based on users early navigation patterns on our site. 4. Generate a 2% increase in Tucson/Southern Arizona travel coverage in Conduct media missions to two or more top Tucson leisure feeder markets and pitch Tucson story ideas to three or more media outlets in those markets prior to June 30, Sponsor, coordinate and participate in the Travel Classics West annual conference, which is slated to be held in Tucson for the first time, in November The conference includes more than 50 top travel editors and writers from throughout the world. Expand our messaging to 20 or more travel media in by incorporating more information in our pitches about outdoor adventure recreation opportunities in our region.

4 Goal #1 Relentlessly promote Tucson s designation as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy and build on Visit Tucson s Free Yourself brand Objective 4: Enhance and expand reach to leisure customers (continued) 5. Develop a loyalty program for Mexico consumers that is used by 5,000 customers by Jan. 1, By April 1, 2018, research and hire a company to create a customer loyalty program for potential Mexico visitors. The company should have proven experience in creating loyalty programs for destinations or travel-related businesses. By July 1, 2018, begin rewarding customers for visiting, posting, booking accommodations and/or entering one or more contests on Objective 5: Develop better marketing strategies to Millennials 1. Generate increased awareness among Millennials about Tucson and its attributes. Increase use of new social media platforms and products, including Snapchat, Instagram Stories, Facebook Live and Facebook Messenger in In , partner with two or more Millennial influencers (ages 35 and younger with strong social media followings) to target their followers with Tucson messages. Pitch Tucson story ideas to five or more media outlets in whose core readership are Millennials. The pitches will demonstrate Tucson s appeal to Millennials with focuses on downtown, nightlife, outdoor adventure recreation, University of Arizona, transportation options and green/ sustainable practices. Develop one or more videos and push them out to Millennials by June 30, 2019 that target Millennials and address the issues in the bullet point above. Host or aid two or more journalists with Millennial-related itineraries by June 30, Facilitate creation of Millennial-related product of interest to visitors and locals by June 30, Objective 6: Expand digital story-telling platform 1. Integrate content-first approach into overall marketing strategy. Implement a comprehensive content plan in to produce more timely and relevant content across all channels. In , align paid advertising with relevant content to ensure consumers who engage with ads are met with consistent and meaningful experiences. Work with two or more freelance writers and bloggers in to create concise and compelling content that showcases Tucson. 2. Expand use of social media. Reconfigure our marketing team in to generate additional content for social media and other digital platforms. Increase by 20% in the number of posts on Instagram and Snapchat, while maintaining current communication levels via our established platforms. Create two or more new Tucson/Southern Arizona videos and push them out via social media and other channels prior to June 30, Enhance Tucson/Southern Arizona s travel information on U.S. digital platforms. By June 30, 2018, analyze Tucson s travel presence on Google, TripAdvisor, Yelp and other major digital and travel platforms and develop a plan to enhance that content in Enhance Visit Tucson s travel information and presence on three or more top U.S. digital platforms by June 30, 2019.

5 Goal #1 Relentlessly promote Tucson s designation as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy and build on Visit Tucson s Free Yourself brand Objective 6: Expand digital story-telling platform (continued) 4. Engage partners to help tell Tucson/Southern Arizona s story. Create co-op model in to develop new content that can be shared by Visit Tucson and participating partners. Secure stories, video and other content from five or more partners and share them on Visit Tucson s platforms by June 30, Objective 7: Produce effective international messaging and positioning 1. Partner with travel industry counterparts. Based on Visit Tucson s limited budget to market internationally, extend our message in by participating in one or more Brand USA cooperative advertising and/or promotional campaigns. Attend one or more internationally-focused trade show in with the Arizona Office of Tourism and/or an Arizona destination marketing organization to sell Tucson/Southern Arizona to western European tour operators and travel agents. Partner with the Arizona Office of Tourism to promote Tucson/Southern Arizona to 15 or more international travel media in Host one or more Arizona Office of Tourism-led groups of international travel professionals or media in Tucson/Southern Arizona in Develop relevant messaging in multiple languages. In , promote Tucson/Southern Arizona as an ideal destination for visitors in our top overseas markets United Kingdom and Germany to connect to the Old West, the lush Sonoran Desert and year-round sunshine. By June 30, 2020, promote Tucson s travel assets electronically in English, Spanish, French and Mandarin. In , emphasize in Spanish to potential Mexican visitors metro Tucson s shopping, concerts and live entertainment, gaming and horse racing. Promote Tucson s culture, gastronomy message, weather and value proposition in targeted areas of Canada in English and French by June 30, 2019.

6 Goal #2: Use innovative and aggressive marketing strategies to generate increased leisure and meetings travel Objective 1: Increase meetings business 1. Generate 2% more leads in than in Bring 150 meeting planners to Tucson/Southern Arizona in via FAMs and site visits. Purchase a HelmsBriscoe sponsorship in to ensure Tucson is top of mind for HB associates. Implement an incentive program in to reward 10 or more individual HelmsBriscoe associates for booking meetings business in our region. Invest in Cvent marketing platform in to monitor and enhance distribution of metro Tucson leads and participate in Cvent s June 2018 appointment-based trade show. Increase leisure and meetings media spending by 2% in Host two or more meetings trade media in In , create an additional satellite sales office in a top meetings feeder market. Partner with Tucson International Airport to secure one or more new routes to top meetings feeder markets by June 30, Generate 2% more room nights in than in Develop and promote a downtown meeting package to encourage meeting planners and sports event organizers to book new and planned downtown properties. Increase spending by 2% on You Fly, We Buy meeting planner incentive in Increase spending by 2% on master account incentive program in Generate 2% more leads in Generate 2% more in meetings economic impact in than in Increase leads and booked room nights by 2% in In , book groups at room rates that are, on average, 2% higher than in Provide Tucson/Southern Arizona hoteliers with average daily lodging rates in competitive markets to allow our hoteliers to book business at market rates. Objective 2: Grow international visitation 1. Grow VISA spending by Canadian visitors in metro Tucson by 1% in Pitch Tucson story ideas to four or more Canadian media outlets in Implement a medical tourism program in metro Tucson in where services of local hospitals are marketed to customers in Canada. Increase leisure advertising spending by 3% in Canadian media outlets in Increase investment by 5% or more in the August 2017 Incentive Works trade show in Toronto. This show is supported strongly by Visit Tucson partners and caters to planners of incentive meetings and events. Secure one new commercial or charter airline route from Canada on a seasonal basis by June 30, Maintain current VISA spending levels by visitors from the United Kingdom and Germany in Pitch Tucson/Southern Arizona story ideas to four or more media outlets in both the United Kingdom and Germany in Expand bookable Tucson/Southern Arizona travel itineraries to include two additional tour operator catalogs in both the United Kingdom and Germany in Support in writing Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport s effort to secure one new commercial or charter route from western Europe by June 30, 2020.

7 Goal #2: Use innovative and aggressive marketing strategies to generate increased leisure and meetings travel Objective 2: Grow international visitation (continued) 3. Increase VISA spending by Chinese visitors to Tucson/Southern Arizona by 4% from to Work with the University of Arizona in to increase its enrollment of Chinese students by 1% in Partner with the University of Arizona in to invite families of Chinese students to take a leisure trip to Tucson. Translate selected information on VisitTucson.org, along with Visit Tucson s lure brochure, into Mandarin by June 30, Objective 3: Grow leisure group room nights 1. Develop with local ground/tour operators unique tour products that may be packaged and booked through industry channels. Develop a package, which consists of unique Tucson/Southern Arizona tour products, that is being marketed and sold by June 30, 2018 through industry channels. Have 100 or more consumers book and experience those packages by June 30, Increase reach of Tucson/Southern Arizona in tour operator catalogs. Supply Tucson/Southern Arizona images and messages about the region s top attributes to 100 or more tour operators in Meet with 1,500 or more tour operators and travel agents in via domestic and international trade shows, sales calls in Canada, western Europe and selected U.S. cities, along with familiarization tours and site visits in Tucson/Southern Arizona. Host the National Tour Association s NTA Contact event with Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resort in March This networking event, which was booked in , will attract approximately 100 NTA tour operator members. 3. Train more travel professionals on how to sell Tucson & Southern Arizona. Meet with 1,500 or more tour operators or travel agents in via domestic and international trade shows, sales calls in Canada, western Europe and selected U.S. cities, along with familiarization tours and site visits in Tucson/Southern Arizona. Objective 4: Book more sports room nights 1. Generate 2% more leads in than in Bring five sports decision-makers to Tucson in via site visits and/or a familiarization tour. Pursue 10 or more events & groups in that were not contacted by us in and can fit in targeted Pima County, Tucson and Oro Valley venues. Attend one or more industry trade shows in geared toward field sports, swimming or baseball. Grow allocation to Tucson Sports business development fund by 5% or more in Generate 2% more room nights in than in Meet with six or more local sports organizers by Oct. 31, 2017 to determine how to grow their events in Book events that are new to Tucson/Southern Arizona that generate 3,000 or more room nights in Generate 2% more leads in

8 Goal #2: Use innovative and aggressive marketing strategies to generate increased leisure and meetings travel Objective 4: Book more sports room nights (continued) 3. Generate 2% more in meetings economic impact in than in Increase booked sports room nights in metro Tucson resorts by 2% in In , book groups at room rates that are, on average, 2% higher than in Increase leads and booked room nights by 2% in Objective 5: Grow film-related direct spending 1. Target business that Tucson can acquire. In , book $7 million or more in business by soliciting producers of independent films, reality television series and other projects that do not require state film incentives. Host five or more producers/decision-makers in Tucson and Southern Arizona in and book projects from those visits with total spending of $500,000 or more by June 30, Provide marketing/hosting incentives to two or more local film festivals in that attract visitors and/or film decision-makers to Tucson and Southern Arizona. By June 30, 2020, create a driving tour that allows visitors to explore sites where major movies were filmed in Tucson and Southern Arizona.

9 Goal #3: Engage the community through the development of a tourism master plan Objective 1: Develop a tourism master plan 1. Create a tourism master plan to put in place a 7-to-10-year road map to guide Visit Tucson s efforts in destination marketing and sales, tourism-related product development, and building regional support for the visitor industry. Develop a request for proposals for a tourism master plan and issue to two or more qualified vendors by Jan. 31, By June 30, 2018, select a vendor to conduct the tourism master plan. By June 30, 2019, complete the tourism master plan and disseminate to stakeholders. Begin implementing the tourism master plan on July 1, Objective 2: Engage productively with government officials 1. Communicate proactively about Visit Tucson s return on investment. In , meet with 30 or more elected leaders and government officials to discuss their priorities, in addition to travel and Visit Tucson. Send written updates to government officials every other week in about Visit Tucson s return on investment and upcoming activities. Send quarterly reports in to Pima County, City of Tucson and Town of Oro Valley summarizing Visit Tucson s progress toward performance measures and delivering a return on their respective investments in our organization. Present Visit Tucson s program of work and return on investment to the Pascua Yaqui Tribal Council by June 30, Meet with one or more members of the Tohono O odham Nation s Tribal Council by June 30, 2018 to present Visit Tucson s program of work and return on investment. 2. Help government partners achieve their goals. Meet with Pima County, City of Tucson and Town of Oro Valley officials by March 31, 2018 to determine their goals with which Visit Tucson can best support. Meet with five or more Tucson City Council and Pima County Board of Supervisors aides in to share Visit Tucson s accomplishments and learn about their priorities. Incorporate at least one activity in program of work for Pima County, Tucson and Oro Valley that addresses one or more of their goals. Objective 3: Collaborate with local/regional community and economic development groups 1. Participate actively in Tucson Business Alliance (TBA). In , as one of seven TBA members Southern Arizona Home Builders Association, Southern Arizona Leadership Council, Sun Corridor Inc., Tucson Association of Realtors, Tucson Hispanic Chamber and Tucson Metro Chamber Visit Tucson will engage with these entities on economic development and quality of life issues for our region. We anticipate weighing in on the necessity of fixing our roads and enhancing our region s transportation infrastructure in TBA has also supported the efforts of the Southern Arizona Defense Alliance (SADA) in recent years. That support is expected to continue in with SADA, of which Visit Tucson is a member, working to maintain flying missions at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

10 Goal #3: Engage the community through the development of a tourism master plan Objective 3: Collaborate with local/regional community and economic development groups (continued) 2. Collaborate with regional chambers of commerce. Partner with the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Pima County and local municipalities to maintain tourism and trade activities between Southern Arizona and Sonora in in a changing political climate. Work with the Tucson Metro Chamber in to provide relocation and visitor information, while participating in their efforts to shape public policy. 3. Collaborate with state and regional tourism organizations. Serve in a leadership capacity for the Arizona Office of Tourism (AOT) in to help keep the organization vital, while ensuring Tucson and Southern Arizona are well represented in AOT s advertising and promotional programs. Serve in a leadership capacity for the Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association (AzLTA) in to ensure local viewpoints are considered in AzLTA s annual legislative agenda. 4. Partner with Sun Corridor Inc. Aid Sun Corridor Inc, via sponsorship and marketing materials, with its retention, relocation and expansion outreach in to two or more targeted companies. 5. Contribute time and input to Pima Association of Governments (PAG) activities. In , serve on PAG s economic development advisory council and provide input on PAG s transportation infrastructure programs. Objective 4: Build community support for the value of tourism and Visit Tucson 1. Promote value of tourism via local media. Run three or more advertorial pages in Arizona Daily Star in Pitch three or more travel impact stories to local/regional media in Respond to media inquiries in timely fashion with accurate data in Push out the value of travel to Southern Arizona to 10 or more regional news outlets and bloggers via social media in Serve as a trusted tourism-data source for media and stakeholders. By June 30, 2019, engage in, secure and utilize Tucson/Southern Arizona visitor and lodging research from Longwoods International that provides current travel data. Update Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase economic impact study by June 30, Serve our community. Participate in the activities of the Southern Arizona Lodging & Resort Association (SALARA), Southern Arizona Attractions Association (SAAA) and Southern Arizona Concierge Network to help strengthen our lodging and attractions industries. Speak at 10 more non-visit Tucson regional functions in Have Visit Tucson staff become actively engaged in 20 or more local and regional tourism, economic development and charitable organizations in Enhance visitor services. By June 30, 2020, create a mobile visitor center that can be taken to events in Tucson and Phoenix, and to regional brand activations. Work with Pima County, Western National Parks Association, University of Arizona and other partners to develop a visitor center at the Old Pima County Courthouse by June 30, 2019.

11 Goal #3: Engage the community through the development of a tourism master plan Objective 5: Create stronger relationships with partners/tourism-related businesses 1. Communicate proactively. Stage 10 or more partner meetings in , including educational and networking opportunities. Write and disseminate a minimum of six partner newsletters annually in Post 30 or more times on Visit Tucson s B2B Facebook page in Meet with 50 or more partner businesses in to discuss how to enhance their Visit Tucson partnerships. 2. Implement enhanced partner advertising/marketing. Write and disseminate four or more consumer eblasts to consumers in Visit Tucson s database in and create partner advertising opportunities with them. In , revisit advertising opportunities available to partners on VisitTucson.org and VamosaTucson.com with an intent to grow partner participation and Visit Tucson revenue by 5% each. Develop two or more video co-op opportunities, in which partners can invest, by June 30, Objective 6: Create a community of tourism ambassadors 1. Develop a Tucson/Southern Arizona tourism ambassador program. Research tourism ambassador program models and select one for implementation by Visit Tucson by June 30, By June 30, 2020, train front-line hospitality staff throughout the region to welcome visitors and educate these customers about Tucson and Southern Arizona s top tourism attributes. 2. Create a more welcoming culture for visitors throughout our region. Run a local media campaign/psas from January through March 2018 thanking travelers for visiting Tucson and Southern Arizona. Work with local economic development organizations, government funders and Visit Tucson partners to incorporate visitor welcome messages in the communications of two or moe entities from January through March Implement welcome programs supporting gem shows and summer conventions in 2018, 2019 and 2020, including collaborating with five or more partners, local businesses and agencies to display and disseminate branded welcome materials.

12 Goal 4: Promote and grow the region s visitor-worthy events and establish a marquee event to attract travelers Objective 1: Grow visitation via events 1. Better focus Visit Tucson s event investments in activities that can bring incremental visitors to Tucson & Southern Arizona. Increase metro Tucson hotel revenue by 2% on a year-over-year basis during the 16 nights associated with the 2018 Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase by increasing our event marketing reach outside our region by 5%. Aid Tucson Games organizers with attracting four additional teams to participate in their 2018 event. Secure additional marketing of the 2018 MLS Preseason in Tucson by Major League Soccer and participating teams to increase Desert Diamond Cup per-match attendance by 3% or more. Create or invest in a new event by June 30, 2020 that has the potential to attract visitors from outside Arizona. 2. Invest in events that provide national and/or international exposure to our region. Invest in the 2018 Tucson Conquistadores Classic Senior PGA Tour event to keep it operating in Tucson, while leveraging investment to promote Tucson to the avid golfers who watch the event on the Golf Channel. Sponsor the 2018 Vamos a Tucson Mexican Baseball Fiesta and market it in Sonora with a goal of increasing per game attendance by 3% or more. Bring at least one additional international sports team to Pima County in to train and compete. Grow investment in the 2018 Tucson Jazz Festival to help grow out-of-market patronage of its events to 30% or more of the total. Grow the economic impact of international baseball spring training in Tucson by 3% or more in 2018 by working with the teams to extend their stays. 3. Invest in events that embellish our Free Yourself brand. Work with the event operator to grow the scope of Agave Heritage Week by the 2019 event and increase out-of-region marketing to bring in 500 or more out-of-town visitors. Increase Phoenix marketing of the 2017 All Souls Procession by 3% and secure one or more editorial stories in Phoenix about the event. Invest in regional cycling events in to grow out-of-market participation by 2% or more in those activities. 4. Support expansion and renovation of existing event venues and creation of new facilities. Meet with Pima County and area municipalities by June 30, 2018 to determine venue plans. By June 30, 2020, advocate and possibly provide financial support for expansion, renovation and creation of venues that will bring additional visitors to Tucson and Southern Arizona. Objective 2: Create a stable and sustainable funding source to retain and attract air service 1. Include funding annually in Visit Tucson s budget for air-service development. Allocate any unspent amount of Visit Tucson s $250,000 New York air-service pledge in budget. Determine in spring 2018 how much to budget for air-service development in Seek sustainable funding from Pima County and area municipalities. Meet with officials from Pima County and area municipalities by summer 2017 to determine whether they are willing and able to provide bed-tax funding, or other revenue, in either or for air-service development.

13 Goal #4: Promote and grow the region s visitor-worthy events and establish a marquee event to attract travelers Objective 2: Create a stable and sustainable funding source to retain and attract air service (continued) 3. Develop a private-sector program to match public funding. By June 30, 2018, secure commitments from private-sector companies that are investing in air service development to continue investing on their own or as a public match. In , secure pledges from two or more targeted, private-sector companies not currently investing in air-service development to augment our air-service development efforts. Objective 3: Foster cultural and arts opportunities to enhance visitors experiences 1. Enhance Visit Tucson s marketing of existing arts and cultural assets. Create and promote two additional arts and cultural itineraries by Dec. 31, Create and disseminate two Tucson/Southern Arizona arts and cultural videos by Dec. 31, Enhance Visit Tucson s events calendar by posting and/or linking to all major arts and cultural events, exhibits and tours by June 30, Partner with the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona and Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance (SAACA) to create and market arts and cultural experiences. Partner with the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona to develop and implement a program by June 30, 2018 where local artists can be booked for tours or presentations. Meet with the Arts Foundation and SAACA staff by Dec. 31, 2017 to determine additional regional arts and cultural experiences that provide the best opportunities to attract visitors. Based on those meetings, create and/or market these opportunities to targeted consumers by June 30, 2018.

14 Goal #5: Enlarge Visit Tucson s budget with a focus on sustainable funding sources Objective 1: Increase Visit Tucson s funding 1. Partner with Pima County to pursue bed-tax increase with state legislature. Meet with Pima County officials in summer/fall 2017 to determine whether a bed-tax increase for lodging in unincorporated Pima County will be pursued in the winter 2018 legislative session. If so, determine at that time the amount of the increase sought. Determine by fall 2017 how Pima County s increased investment in Visit Tucson would be spent to generate a return on that investment. 2. Negotiate with City of Tucson to allocate a greater portion of its base bed-tax revenue and $4 room surcharge revenue to Visit Tucson. Meet with Tucson officials in fall 2017 to determine whether and by how much the City will increase the percentage of base bed-tax revenue and/or the amount of room surcharge it invests in Visit Tucson in In , the City invests 34% of its base bed-tax collections in Visit Tucson. Visit Tucson splits with the City any remaining revenue once the City collects $9.4 million from its combined 66% of the base bed-tax collections, plus the revenue generated from the $4 per occupied hotel room per night surcharge it imposes. Determine by fall 2017 how the City s increased investment in Visit Tucson would be spent to generate a return on that investment. 3. Pursue new funding agreement with Town of Oro Valley. By spring 2018, negotiate a new destination marketing agreement between Visit Tucson and Oro Valley to replace the three-year agreement that expires June 30, In the new agreement, seek to grow the Town s annual investment in Visit Tucson to a minimum of 30% of the Town s annual bed-tax collections. 4. Increase investment from Pascua Yaqui Tribe and Tohono O odham Nation. Grow by 5% in the base investment in Visit Tucson by our Native American partners via illustrating the return on investment they are receiving from their partnerships with Visit Tucson. 5. Develop enabling legislation allowing tourism improvement districts in Arizona. Work with Arizona destination marketing organizations and Civitas to create enabling legislation for tourism improvement districts by fall 2019 that can be introduced in the 2020 Arizona legislative session. 6. Secure new private-sector funding. Grow Visit Tucson s partner spending by 2% in by better monetizing Visit Tucson s websites, eblasts, social media and visitor center. Objective 2: Leverage technology to increase sales and marketing effectiveness 1. Utilize ADARA to better target potential visitors. Invest in ADARA in to use booking and search data to pinpoint customers who are searching for flights, hotels and more in Tucson, in Arizona and in competing markets. In , create and send messages to targeted consumers identified by ADARA as strong potential visitors to Tucson/Southern Arizona. 2. Incorporate virtual reality into the tools used by Visit Tucson to inspire travel to our region. Create one or more virtual-reality videos by June 30, 2019 that promote one of Visit Tucson s top attributes.

15 Goal #5: Enlarge Visit Tucson s budget with a focus on sustainable funding sources Objective 2: Leverage technology to increase sales and marketing effectiveness (continued) Generate 50,000 or more views of the virtual-reality video(s) by June 30, 2020 by pushing it out through multiple Visit Tucson platforms. 3. Increase use of native advertising to promote Tucson and Southern Arizona. Use emerging tools, such as Taboola, to push out travel content about our region in to 100,000 or more readers. As the lines between editorial and advertorial continue to blur, execute 10 or more native advertising placements in on 10 or more national websites. 4. Enhance Simpleview s customer relationship management system and Visit Tucson s utilization of it. Work with Simpleview in to enhance the lead distribution, tracking and follow-up components of its CRM for use by Visit Tucson and its partners. Improve Simpleview CRM s ties to Cvent s lead distribution platform on by June 30, Enhance Simpleview s support of consumer platforms used by Visit Tucson to segment and communicate with consumers by June 30, Objective 3: Identify and secure the most efficient Visit Tucson office space 1. Improve communication and collaboration among departments. Determine by spring 2018 whether to renovate current office building or move to a new location where staff are on one or two floors, rather than three. Create a safe, modern work environment with minimal construction impacts on staff by fall Objective 4: Review bylaws 1. Ensure bylaws, which were last reviewed and updated in 2012, reflect desired organizational structure. In the fiscal year, create a Visit Tucson bylaws committee to review, and update, if needed, Visit Tucson s bylaws.