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CC 2020-07-28_10a Amended AGTBID Budget_PP PresentationVisit Arroyo Grande Strategic Planning Presentation July 28, 2020 1 2 Project Overview Immersion Session Survey Design and Analysis Visioning Session Imperatives Work Session Initiatives and Operational Planning Work Sessions Documentation of Strategic Plan 2 3 Planning Team Jocelyn Brennan Holly Leighton Ashlee Akers Chelsea Modlin Curtis Reinhardt Dave Kastner Krista Bandy Debbie Schiro Lan George Anne Steinhauer Wendy Saleh Anne McCracken Chuck Davison Scott Astrosky Mayor Caren Ray Russom Colin Stoetzel (Coraggio) Beau Bennent (Coraggio) 3 4 Stakeholder Survey and Strategic Insights 4 5 Approach Methodology This report summarizes the data collection and outreach efforts conducted on behalf of Visit Arroyo Grande in March 2020 as the organization prepared to create its 2023 Strategic Plan. The purpose of this outreach was to stakeholder perception of the current state of tourism in Arroyo Grande and gain insights on potential priorities for the organization’s Strategic Plan. This report was developed by surveying Visit Arroyo Grande stakeholders on the following topics: This report highlights key themes identified from the survey results. Each theme is supported by survey data and relevant quotations. These themes were developed using the following methods: Quantitative questions were analyzed using category means, percentage rates and frequencies. Qualitative, open-ended questions were analyzed by assigning themes influenced by response content and Coraggio’s interpretation of those responses. Strategic Guidance  Destination Brand  Role Importance and Effectiveness Mission and Leadership Tourism Drivers, Assets, and Experiences Tourism Support and Enablers 5 Key Themes Arroyo Grande is a destination anchored by its food & beverage opportunities, its access to outdoor recreation, and its small-town charm positioned between key metropolitans. Arroyo Grande’s brand is fixed. Focus on quality of experience is imperative. Visit Arroyo Grande’s role continues to be primarily a marketing organization purposed with driving brand awareness through marketing leadership. Events are seen as a key vehicle to driving visitation, opportunities exist to create and promote an expanded event portfolio. Collaboration with local organizations and governments is wanted and necessary to improve the Arroyo Grande tourism experience; key areas include product development, small business support, and infrastructure investment. Limited nightlife, entertainment and retail options (downtown experiences) are barriers to growing Arroyo Grande’s tourism economy. Stakeholder and government engagement and communication is required to generate greater awareness and support of Visit Arroyo Grande’s efforts. 6 Arroyo Grande: Current Brand What THREE words do you believe describe Arroyo Grande's brand as a destination today? What makes Arroyo Grande a unique destination today? Arroyo Grande is seen as a charming, historic, small town experience on the Central Coast of California. Its access to quality wine experiences and off the beaten path beach adventures are complimentary assets to be leveraged. Key Takeaways: 7 8 Arroyo Grande: Future Brand What THREE words would you use to describe Arroyo Grande's brand as a destination in the future? What would you like Arroyo Grande's brand to be? The future brand of Arroyo Grande looks much like it does today. Its small-town charm, coupled with quality wine and access to beach experiences, are core brand differentiators. With a solid brand foundation, focus becomes oriented towards brand awareness. Key Takeaways: 8 9 Strategic Priorities What do you believe are the THREE greatest strategic opportunities for Arroyo Grande as a destination? Key Takeaways Brand Awareness (23 respondents): Many believe the most strategic thing Visit Arroyo Grande can do is promote the brand, as is. Food/Wine Tourism (20 respondents): Arroyo Grande is perceived to have quality food and wine offerings that could serve as a differentiator in its marketing efforts. Event Marketing/Creation (15 respondents): Events are believed to be a primary tool to attract visitors to Arroyo Grande. Promoting existing or partnering with stakeholders to create new events could be key tools in driving awareness and visitor traffic. Product Development & Business Support (12 respondents): Some stakeholders believe that a more diverse set of attractions (retail, cultural, etc.) could help better position Arroyo Grande as a travel destination. Catalyzing this effort lies in the evaluation of favorable, pro-business regulations that better incentivize entrepreneurship. Other (5-7 respondents): Sustainability/Stewardship, Transportation Management, Downtown Activation 9 10 Tourism Threats Using the list below, what do you believe are the top THREE threats facing Arroyo Grande as a destination? Aligning with strategic priorities, AG’s limited brand awareness is the destination’s #1 threat. AG’s perceived lack of nightlife and entertainment also presents a barrier to growth in tourism, as it is a key monetizer in any tourism market. Some mentioned a less than ideal downtown experience as something that may be supporting this threat. California’s affordable housing issues and its perceived threat to tourism economies are felt in AG. The destination believed public infrastructure could be a threat to tourism growth, a common issue among road trip markets. California’s growth and status as America’s top vacation destination has increased competition among destinations within the state. Stakeholders believe this threat could be experienced in AG. The upcoming/arrived economic downturn is a threat to all destinations, AG is not immune. Key Takeaways 10 11 Arroyo Grande Tourism Offering Rating: Using the scale below, please rate your perception of the quality of each area of Arroyo Grande's tourism offering. The AG tourism experience is anchored in its Food, Wine, and Outdoor recreation opportunities. Middle of the road lodging options, combined with food & beverage and outdoor recreation options may position AG as a viable basecamp to explore the broader central coast, but work is required. Limited nightlife, entertainment, and retail opportunities may limit the full monetization potential of tourism in AG. Attractions and events, foundational assets that attract visitation could also use improvement. Destination information is often the first point of visitor contact. Ensuring quality websites and engaging content is key to conversion. Key Takeaways: 11 12 Support for AG tourism is middle of the road and could use improvement across the board. Stakeholder and resident support are foundational elements of a successful tourism industry and should be a focus. Tourism funding could also be improved, but often correlates to the success of local marketing campaigns and resulting visitor traffic. Improving wayfinding and signage, as well as visitor information is key in a road trip market with many competitive alternative visitation options. Government support is the destination’s main support strength and should be leveraged to improve other support structure areas. Key Takeaways Arroyo Grande Tourism Support Structures Rate your perception of the quality of each area of Arroyo Grande's tourism support structure. 12 Visit Arroyo Grande: Organizational Reputation What THREE words do you believe best describe Visit Arroyo Grande's reputation as organization? Visit Arroyo Grande is a relatively unknown entity in the community. The organization is friendly, collaborative and passionate about what they do. Opportunities exists to better establish a vision for the destination, organize strategically, and communicate effectively. Key Takeaways: 13 14 Visit Arroyo Grande’s Mission Please select your level of agreement with each statement Many are not aware of Visit Arroyo Grande’s mission and purpose, yet it is seen as critical to a thriving tourism economy in AG. Opportunities exist to better position the organization as the lead voice of the industry and communicate a purpose that rallies stakeholders to a common vision. Key Takeaways: 14 15 Key Takeaways Marketing Leadership: Visit Arroyo Grande’s main role and responsibility remains that of a traditional DMO, to provide destination marketing leadership in order to drive overnight stays and tax revenues Stakeholder Collaboration and Inclusion: Continuing to collaborate with local tourism stakeholders is also seen as a key role. Some believe expanding outreach to include a broader set of tourism stakeholders could be warranted. Event Promotion: Events continue to be a focal point of driving visitation. The creation, support, and promotion of said events is believed to be an opportunity for Visit Arroyo Grande Advocacy: Some stakeholders would like to see Visit Arroyo Grande take a position on the creation pro-business regulations, infrastructure investment, and product development - all supporting areas of a viable tourism economy Visit Arroyo Grande Roles and Responsibilities What THREE roles or responsibilities do you believe Visit Arroyo Grande should focus on providing to help its tourism stakeholders and support a thriving tourism industry? 15 16 Strategic Plan 16 17 17 Vision Mission Position Values Truth Excellence Teamwork Community Impact Reputation Transparent Forward-thinking Reliable Humble Partners Visit Arroyo Grande 2021-2024 Strategic Plan A thriving community rooted in authentic hospitality and nourished by a strong economy To market Arroyo Grande as a desirable travel destination, create memorable experiences and support a prosperous economy and community Visit Arroyo Grande is the city’s primary source for destination marketing services and tourism leadership. We are:  Storytellers of the Arroyo Grande tourism experience  Providers of tourism related information and data Collaborators championing the value of tourism and supporting key tourism drivers Stewards balancing the benefits of tourism with Arroyo Grande’s quality of life  18 19 Strategic Clarity Vision: Mission: Position: A thriving community rooted in authentic hospitality and nourished by a strong economy To market Arroyo Grande as a desirable travel destination, create memorable experiences, and support a prosperous economy and community Visit Arroyo Grande is the city’s primary source for destination marketing services and tourism leadership. We are:  Storytellers of the Arroyo Grande tourism experience  Providers of tourism related information and data Collaborators championing the value of tourism and supporting key tourism drivers Stewards balancing the benefits of tourism with Arroyo Grande’s quality of life  19 20 Strategic Clarity Values Truth Excellence Teamwork Community Impact Reputation Transparent Forward-thinking Reliable Humble Partners 20 21 Support the Destination in Tourism Recovery and Strengthen Organizational Capacity for Future Impact Recover/Achieve 2019 Occupancy Rate Increase Staffing Budget Align on and implement tiered re-opening marketing and communication plan with key partners and stakeholders Advocate for organizational capacity to ensure the resiliency of AG’s tourism economy Enhance the tourism industry’s position and importance in AG’s economic recovery Objectives Initiatives 21 22 Increase Brand Awareness as a Central California Destination of Choice Increase share of county visitor volume Increase use of shared brand assets Differentiate AG’s brand position in the larger SLO CAL travel market Create a content library and tool kit to influence a unified brand approach Pursue opportunities for collaborative and aligned promotional partnerships and messaging Objectives Initiatives 22 23 Ensure the Quality of our Brand Promise and Visitor Experience Increase number of visitor hours in market Increase length of stay Create a framework to evaluate and promote events that generate new and repeat visitors to the destination Encourage the availability of downtown and nightlight opportunities Design attractive trip itineraries to drive visitation to AG’s portfolio of experiences Objectives Initiatives 23 24 Expand Stakeholder and Community Engagement to Create a Collaborative and Supportive Tourism Industry Increase representation of lodging partners on the Board Grow stakeholder participation Increase resident approval of tourism Create a stakeholder engagement and outreach campaign to educate and promote the value of the TBID to lodging partners Collaborate with stakeholders to design and expand co-operative marketing programs Increase the voice of tourism with key governmental, businesses and community decision makers and leaders Objectives Initiatives 24 Vision Mission Position Values Truth Excellence Teamwork Community Impact Reputation Transparent Forward-thinking Reliable Humble Partners Visit Arroyo Grande 2021-2024 Strategic Plan A thriving community rooted in authentic hospitality and nourished by a strong economy To market Arroyo Grande as a desirable travel destination, create memorable experiences and support a prosperous economy and community Visit Arroyo Grande is the city’s primary source for destination marketing services and tourism leadership. We are:  Storytellers of the Arroyo Grande tourism experience  Providers of tourism related information and data Collaborators championing the value of tourism and supporting key tourism drivers Stewards balancing the benefits of tourism with Arroyo Grande’s quality of life  25 26 Questions? 26 27 27