Issue link: http://visitithaca.uberflip.com/i/465181
Visitors Bureau Leads the Community to a Record Year in Tourism Your CVB is proud to report that Tompkins County enjoyed a record tourism season in 2014 with 356,000 overnight hotel stays generating $53.6 million dollars in room revenue. Combined with dining, shopping and activities, total tourism spending will exceed $177 million (when reported later this spring). CVB staff took a leadership role in the effort, implementing efficient new ways to market the community, finding new digital tools to enhance visitor services and selling hard to close the deal on 73% more conference, motorcoach and wedding group leads. While we can't track total visits generated by our $1.1 million 2014 budget, we did count 8,628 overnight stays booked or contracted directly through CVB programs. Using these sales as the most conservative possible measure of performance, we can confidently say the CVB's work led to a minimum of $2.6 million in total tourism spending. Bottom line: Tompkins County saw a minimum return of $2.36 for every dollar invested in its CVB. Clearly the CVB's impact extended beyond this simple measurement and if we tracked conversions on the millions of consumer impressions generated through web, PR, print, email, and individual contacts, the ROI would be higher still. But for now, we're good reporting $2.36. We only wish our retirement accounts performed as strongly. Bruce Stoff, Director Ithaca/Tompkins County Convention & Visitors Bureau 73% Increase in Group Business Booked CVB Generates Minimum $2.6m in Tourism Spending Visitors Spend $177m in Tompkins County 2014 CVB Spending (Actual) $1,171,585 2015 CVB Budget $1,091,752 M a r k e ti n g 46 % Ad m i n 28 % S e rv i c es Sa l e s V i s i t o r 1 5 % V i s i t o r 19 % G r ou p 13 % Ithaca-Tompkins 58.9% $150 $89 604,290 356,062 $53.6mil -0.4% 4.5% 4.1% 3.9% 3.5% 8.1% NYS Ex NYC 60.1% $112 $67 1.2% 1.8% 3.0% 0.8% 2.1% 3.8% USA 64.4% $115 $74 3.6% 4.5% 8.3% 0.9% 4.5% 9.2% OCC Rate* Avg Daily Rate** RevPar Supply Demand Revenue 2014 Lodging Market Performance (STR) *Occupancy Rate **Revenue per available room A Message from Bruce Stoff, Ithaca/Tompkins County Convention & Visitors Bureau Director 1 M a rk e t i n g 38 % Ad m i n 3 0 % S e r v i c es Sa l e s G r o u p 1 1 % Notes: 2014 marketing budget benefited from high marketing grant income, budget carryover and deferred NYS Matching Funds. Notes: 2015 visitor services budget benefits from a NYS marketing- technology grant. Marketing budget is "right-sized" without one-time grants and carryover. 2014 Budget Breakdown with 2015 Projections