TUOLUMNE COUNTY VISITORS BUREAU INC DBA VISIT TUOLUMNE COUNTY

THE 2024 - 2025 ANNUAL REPORT HIGHLIGHTS THE FOLLOWING ACCOMPLISHMENTS:-IN 2024, TRAVEL SPENDING IN TUOLUMNE COUNTY GREW TO $307.8 MILLION THE COUNTYS TRAVEL INDUSTRY SUPPORTED APPROXIMATELY 2,700-SONORA SELFIE TRAIL WAS LAUNCHED IN DECEMBER 2023 AND CONTINUES TO BE POPULAR FOR VISITORS TO THE AREA. THE SONORA SELFIE TRAIL IS A CURATED MOBILE PASSPORT THAT LEADS PARTICIPANTS TO SELFIE SPOTS WITHIN THE CITY OF SONORA. THIS IS AN INTERACTIVE AND ENTICING WAY TO ATTRACT VISITORS AND ENCOURAGES LONGER VISITATION.-VTC CONTINUED TO PROMOTE THE TUOLUMNE COUNTY CRAFT BEVERAGE TRAIL AND THE CRAFT BURGER TRAIL PROMOTING AN INCREASE IN CUSTOMERS TO OUR PARTNERS IN THEIR OFF-PEAK BUSINESS HOURS.-VTC CONTINUED THE FUEL YOUR JOURNEY CAMPAIGN AIMED TO BOOST OVERNIGHT STAYS DURING THE SLOWER TIMES OF THE YEAR BY OFFERING FREE GAS CARDS TO VISITORS WHO STAYED AT LEAST TWO NIGHTS AT A VTC PARTNER HOTEL, RV PARK OR CAMPGROUND DURING JANUARY OR FEBRUARY. -ANNUAL TRAVEL GUIDE: VTC CREATES AND DISTRIBUTES THE OFFICIAL TUOLUMNE COUNTY TRAVEL GUIDE, WHICH, ALONG WITH THE VTC WEBSITE, FORMS THE FOUNDATION OF OUR MARKETING EFFORTS. 75,000 COPIES ARE PRINTED ANNUALLY AND DISTRIBUTED AT VARIOUS BAY AREA LOCATIONS. THEY ARE ALSO DISTRIBUTED AT THE TUOLUMNE COUNTY VISITORS CENTER, MAILED TO ADVERTISING LEADS, INDIVIDUAL REQUESTS, AT MEDIA EVENTS, TRAVEL SHOWS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES.- VISIT TUOLUMNE COUNTYS WEBSITE SERVES AS A DIGITAL GATEWAY FOR INSPIRING AND ENCOURAGING TRAVEL TO TUOLUMNE COUNTY. THE WEBSITE FUNCTIONS AS AN ESSENTIAL RESOURCE, PROVIDING UP TO DATE DETAILED INFORMATION.-DIGITAL ADS: IN THE 24/25 FISCAL YEAR, VTC LAUNCHED ANOUT-OF-MARKET DIGITAL CAMPAIGN WITH A ROBUST, MULTI-CHANNEL MEDIA STRATEGY TARGETING POTENTIAL TRAVELERS BEYOND CALIFORNIA. THE CAMPAIGN DELIVERED MEASURABLE IMPACT, AVERAGING 621 MONTHLY IN-MARKET VISITS TO TUOLUMNE COUNTY FROM OUT-OF-STATE AUDIENCES, WITH 130 OF THOSE VISITS DIRECTED TO LODGING PROPERTIES. THESE RESULTS HIGHLIGHT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COMBINING INTEREST AND INTENT-BASED TARGETING WITH DIVERSIFIED MEDIA PLACEMENTS.-SOCIAL MEDIA - VISIT TUOLUMNE COUNTY CONTINUES TO BE VERY ACTIVE ON ITS SIX SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS, SHARING STRATEGICALLY PLANNED INSPIRATIONAL AND MOTIVATIONAL POSTS TO ENCOURAGE VISITATION. SOCIAL MEDIA IS ALSO A VALUABLE TOOL TO DISTRIBUTE IMPORTANT, TIMELY INFORMATION AS NECESSARY TO THE VISITING PUBLIC AND LOCALS ALIKE, NOTABLY AS WE SAW RECURRING CHANGES IN ROAD CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.- GOOGLE MAX CAMPAIGN: IN AN EFFORT TO INCREASE HOTEL BOOKINGS, VTC ENGAGED IN A GOOGLE MAX CAMPAIGN SPECIFICALLY GEARED TOWARDS INCREASING BOOKINGS FOR THE SUMMER MONTHS. GOOGLE MAX USES AI TECHNOLOGY TO REACH THE CUSTOMERS MOST LIKELY TO BUT WHEREVER THEYRE BROWSING. -PRINT AD CAMPAIGNS: PRINT AD PLACEMENTS IN MAJOR TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE PUBLICATIONS CONTINUES TO BE A KEY COMPONENT OF VTCS MARKETING STRATEGY. PRINT AD PLACEMENTS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING PUBLICATIONS: CALIFORNIA VISITORS GUIDE, VISIT CALIFORNIA ROAD TRIPS GUIDE, CONDE NASTE TRAVELER, ADVENTURE SPORTS JOURNAL AND SUNSET MAGAZINE.-WORKING WITH OUR UK PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENCY, THE PR HIGHLIGHT FOR 2025 IS NICOLA BRADYS COVERAGE IN THE IRISH INDEPENDENT? FOLLOWING HER FAMILIARIZATION TRIP TO THE AREA, SHE COVERED TUOLUMNE COUNTY IN AN ONLINE AND IN PRINT FEATURE, AS WELL AS INCLUDING TUOLUMNE IN HER 25 BLOW-THE-BUDGET GETAWAYS FOR 2025 FEATURE. -IN ADDITION TO OUR UK PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENCY, VISIT TUOLUMNE COUNTY ALSO CONTRACTED WITH A PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENCY IN BOTH THE GERMAN AND MEXICO MARKETS INTRODUCING THE DESTINATION TO THESE INTERNATIONAL MARKETS.-TELEVISION AND RADIO ADVERTISING; VTC CONTINUES TO TAP INTO KEY AUDIENCES THROUGH SPECIAL PROMOTIONS, TRADITIONAL PLACEMENTS, AND STREAMING PLACEMENTS. ALONG WITH SPECIAL PROMOTIONS ON SELECT CHANNELS.- BILLBOARD ADS: VTC UTILIZED DIGITAL BILLBOARDS WHICH ALLOWS VTC TO QUICKLY CHANGE MESSAGING, TO HELP WITH CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS, EVENT PROMOTIONS, AND SEASONAL PROMOTIONS.-TUOLUMNE COUNTY ART WEEK IS A CELEBRATION OF LOCAL CREATIVIY AND CULTURE, SHOWCASING THE DIVERSE ARTISTIC TALENTS THAT THRIVE ON OUR COUNTY. HELD ANNUALLY, THIS WEEK-LONG EVENT INVITES BOTH RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO EXPLORE A WIDE ARRAY OF ARTISTIC EXPRESSIONS.-PARTICIPATED IN MARKETING PARTNERSHIPS WITH REGIONAL, STATE, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MARKETING ORGANIZATIONS ALLOWING VTC TO LEVERAGE FUNDING AND CAPTURE ADDITIONAL MARKETSHARE WHILE INCREASING VTCS OUTREACH REGIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY.- PUBLICE RELATIONS - THROUGH BOTH MEDIA PITCHES AND VISITS VTC SECURED 65 ARTICLES THAT WERE PLACED THROUGHOUT THE US. THE ESTIMATED AD VALUE ON ALL THE ARTICLE PLACEMENTS WAS $8.2 MILLION.- VISIT TUOLUMNE COUNTY PARTICIPATES IN SEVERAL TRAVEL TRADE EVENTS PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES TO PROMOTE AND SHARE TUOLUMNE COUNTY WITH TRAVEL PROFESSIONALS, INCLUDING TOUR OPERATORS, SUPPLIERS, AND DESTINATION REPRESENTATIVES FROM AROUND THE WORLD.-FAMILIARIZATION TRIPS: VTC HOSTS JOURNALISTS, INFLUENCERS AND TRAVEL TRADE REPRESENTATIVES WHICH PROVIDES FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE OF TUOLUMNE COUNTY OFFERINGS. THE EXPOSURE ALLOWS PARTICIPANTS TO GAIN IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE OF THE DESTINATION, ENABLING THEM TO BETTER PROMOTE TUOLUMNE COUNTY AS A TRAVEL DESTINATION.-VISIT TUOLUMNE COUNTY CONTINUES TO WORK TOWARD SECURING MORE GROUPS AND MEETINGS BUSINESS IN TUOLUMNE COUNTY THROUGH SEVERAL DIFFERENT AVENUES.-VTC HAS CONTINUED TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL THROUGH BLOG ARTICLES, MEDIA PITCHES, AND SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS. VTC LAUNCHED CLEAN-UP DAYS AND A MEANINGFUL TRAVEL WEBPAGE.