2025 Research Highlights

Throughout 2025, Visit Greater Palm Springs strengthened its research program to deepen our understanding of visitor behavior, resident perspectives, and market dynamics—supporting data-informed decision-making across marketing, sales, advocacy, and destination stewardship. Key initiatives included:

• Resident Sentiment Study (two phases): Measured community attitudes toward tourism and quality-of-life impacts to support balanced destination planning.
• Image & Awareness Study: Tracked brand perception, familiarity, and traveler motivations across priority domestic and international markets.
• Visitor Intercept Study: Captured real-time insights on trip planning windows, satisfaction drivers, and lodging preferences.
• 2024 Tourism Economic Impact Study: Quantified the full economic contribution of tourism to the region, including jobs supported, tax revenues, and broader community benefits.
• 2024 STVR Economic Impact Study: Assessed the economic role of short-term vacation rentals—including visitor spending, revenue, and jobs—to help inform policy and planning.
• Amateur Sports Complex Feasibility Study: Measured the visitation and economic value of sports, tourism, and visitor-related events to inform recruitment, funding, and partnership opportunities.
• Additional research: Included meetings & convention research to strengthen group strategy and a Second Homeowners Study to better understand this influential audience segment.

Together, these studies provided a strong foundation for long-term strategy, stronger off-peak demand planning, and continued alignment with community priorities.

Research in 2026

Research remains a cornerstone of Visit Greater Palm Springs’ strategic approach in 2026. By turning data into actionable insights, we are strengthening marketing efficiency, sharpening sales focus, and supporting thoughtful destination development—ensuring visitor growth is aligned with resident priorities and long-term sustainability. Stakeholders can expect a research program that not only measures performance, but actively informs decisions, improves operational efficiency, and guides smart investment.

Current key 2026 initiatives include:

• Resident Sentiment Study (finalizing 2026): Captures local perceptions of tourism and community quality of life to support balanced policies and initiatives.
• Image & Awareness Study (finalizing 2026): Tracks brand awareness and destination perception across key markets to guide messaging and media strategy.
• Visitor Intercept Study (finalizing 2026): Provides ongoing, real-time insight into visitor behavior, spending, and experience drivers while in-market.
• 2025 Tourism Economic Impact Study: Updates the region-wide economic contribution of tourism—jobs, tax revenue, and household savings—to help prioritize strategic investments.
• 2025 STVR Economic Impact Study: Updates the economic contribution of short-term vacation rentals to support policy, planning, and destination development decisions.
• Meetings: Evaluates the effectiveness of “The Oasis is Real” campaign and identifies opportunities to better support meetings and group business. Identifies behaviors, motivations and booking patterns of meeting planners.
• Restaurant Week Survey: Measures visitor engagement and economic impact to inform culinary programming and off-peak visitation strategies.
• Rove Dashboards: Building on our 2025 partnership with Rove, we anticipate launching the platform in 2026 to consolidate key datasets into a single, accessible reporting environment. Rove will reduce manual reporting, improve consistency, and provide cities and stakeholders direct access to trusted insights—supporting transparency, collaboration, and faster, data-driven decisions across the destination.

Destination Stewardship Plan – Flagship 2026 Initiative 

Building on this research foundation, our largest initiative in 2026 will be an expanded, city-focused Destination Stewardship Plan. This effort is designed to develop nine individual city-specific tourism master plans that collectively inform a comprehensive Overall Destination Stewardship Plan, one that is both visionary at a regional level and highly actionable locally. 

Together, these city plans will roll up into a cohesive regional vision, ensuring that each community’s unique context, priorities, and potential are reflected while supporting sustainable growth and an exceptional visitor experience. 

This flagship initiative exemplifies how Visit Greater Palm Springs leverages research to balance data-driven strategy, community alignment, and future-ready planning, providing a roadmap for both local action and regional progress. 

Current and Past Research & Reports

As a reminder, you can explore prior VGPS research and the latest industry trends and updates on our website’s Research & Reports page. This dedicated section serves as a valuable resource, offering industry insights, market shifts, and innovative practices, allowing stakeholders the ability to strategically adapt their offerings, marketing strategies, and infrastructure to meet consumer demands in our ever-evolving global market.