PRESIDENT'S SUMMARY

January 2020

Welcome to 2020, the year of engagement and experiences. How we market and measure success at the CVB continues to evolve and adapt to the world of travel.

Over 62% of our web traffic is now completed on a mobile device, and although we have a responsive platform, it is critical for the CVB to redesign our website to meet the needs of the modern traveler. We are working with Simpleview on our new site with a goal to launch this summer. Our website metrics this year will focus more on engagement and driving the web visitor journey to action.

Our marketing platform will also evolve and include more programming on connected TV. Advertising via streaming channels will allow us to be more targeted in our messaging, selecting specific demographics, geography and viewer behavior. Connected TV has recently surpassed paid television subscribers. Currently, 31% of television users have Smart TVs, 29% have gaming consoles and 21% have streaming devices. In fact, 73% of millennials and Gen-Xers are using streaming services, and it is predicted that 75% of households are expected to use connected TV in 2020.

Continued focus will remain on airline co-op marketing as well as marketing directly to Network Planners through industry-specific media. In collaboration with our airline consultant, Ailevon Pacific Aviation Consulting, we will be creating a campaign specific to Network Planners with creative and messaging most impactful to their consideration of Greater Palm Springs. 

In 2019, we surveyed past and existing co-op partners to measure the satisfaction with our TV co-op program. Although all surveys indicated partners were “satisfied” or “highly satisfied” with the program, interest in other media platforms such as digital, radio, content and social media were identified. Over the summer of 2019, we tested co-ops in each of these areas, and based on the results have rolled out new 2020 co-ops including Pandora, Adara, Social Media (summer campaign) and Locale magazine. Additionally, we have added streaming TV as part of the 2020 TV co-op program, which allows partners to target based on demographics, geography and behaviors. 

Global travel continues to evolve rapidly with technological advancements, shifting demographics and consumer attitudes, and we are making adjustments here at the CVB in response. Our Travel Industry Sales department will now be known as Tourism Development, joining our Destination Development team while maintaining its primary mission to promote Greater Palm Springs as a desired location for tourism, events, education and economic development by working closely with key clients across a broad array of industries and governments in targeted global markets. Supported by our contracted, in-market representation offices internationally, Tourism Development will ensure Greater Palm Springs stands out as a unique and welcoming destination worldwide for both tourism and commerce. 

In addition, Tourism Development will focus on supporting the Destination Development Plan’s key recommendations to meet the goal of 16.8 million visitors by the year 2026 and ensure our efforts are properly aligned with future trends in travel.

In 2020 the CVB will be working with data from UberMedia and Strategic Marketing & Research Insights (SMARInsights) to create a new Visitor Profile Study. UberMedia is a mobile data analytics company that tracks human movement data via cellphones, accessing over 300 million mobile devices monthly in the U.S. and 1 billion worldwide. UberMedia leverages this data to understand visitor demographics; top source markets; and where visitors specifically shop, eat, stay and sightsee while in-market. SMARInsights will then identify which markets to survey based on the UberMedia data. They will survey approximately 3,000 Greater Palm Springs visitors post-visit in regards to their trip experience in Greater Palm Springs.

Our goal this year is to enhance our destination sustainability practices and help to define a broad set of characteristics that aim to enhance the typical visitor experience. It is important we have harmony with the environment and that tourism sustains the well-being of local community members. Education plays a vital role in the local economy, and enhanced educational opportunities will provide a younger workforce for the hospitality industry and create a positive visitor experience that will be shared again and again. We aim to grow our number of Certified Tourism Ambassadors by 450 new graduates and create two new classes with instructors from and programs by The Ritz-Carlton around the topics of Quality Service and The Art of the Apology. We will also grow the impact of the Greater Palm Springs Tourism Foundation and support CSUSB – Palm Desert Campus Hospitality Management program and College of the Desert with the development of the new hospitality campus in Palm Springs. 

The CVB has engaged NextFactor to create a Destination Experience Plan for each city with a goal to share the results at our March board meeting. The Destination Experience Plan will assist each city with ideas and inspiration around the creation of new product development/guest experience strategies (long- and short-term) specific for their city. 

We are excited about the new year and working with all of you as we continue on our quest to attract over 16 million visitors by 2026. If we are all successful, this goal will generate nearly $10 billion for the economy and grow tourism jobs to over 60,000. The local and state tax revenues will grow to over $850 million and support more than 5,000 public sector jobs related to police, fire and education. Achieving this goal by 2026 will take all of us working together!

Sincerely, 

Scott White, President/CEO