Del Rio invests in Placer AI for tourism data analytics

The February 24, 2025, Commissioners Court Regular Term Meeting for Val Verde County, Texas, focused on the ongoing partnership with Placer AI, a company specializing in artificial intelligence that tracks visitor data through cell phone usage. The meeting began with a review of the previous year's contract, which involved an annual investment of $18,450, shared among the Hispanic Chamber, the Val Verde County Business Bureau (WCBB), and the county itself.

The primary purpose of utilizing Placer AI is to gather insights on visitor demographics, behaviors, and trends to enhance tourism and local business performance. The program tracks visitors by ZIP codes, providing analytics on attendance at events, duration of stay, and spending patterns. This data is crucial for understanding the impact of events on local sales and hotel occupancy taxes.

During the meeting, it was noted that the renewal cost for the upcoming year would be $19,004.25, reflecting a 5% increase. The accuracy of the data provided by Placer AI was discussed, with estimates ranging from 90% to 95% based on past events, such as the eclipse event, where ticket sales were closely aligned with the data reported by Placer.

The discussion included specific event analyses, such as the George Paul Memorial Board Riding event and the Cinco de Mayo celebration, highlighting visitor numbers and the percentage of out-of-town attendees. For instance, the George Paul event attracted 7,200 overall visits, with 24.3% being from outside the area. The Cinco de Mayo event saw 9,100 visitors, with 18.5% from out of town.

Commissioners expressed the need to evaluate the effectiveness of funding for various events, noting that some events, like the Amistad Parade, did not yield a proportional return on investment compared to others. The meeting concluded with plans to identify five to six key events that could be enhanced to attract more visitors and encourage overnight stays, thereby boosting local economic activity.

Overall, the meeting underscored the importance of data-driven decision-making in promoting tourism and supporting local businesses in Val Verde County. The next steps involve further collaboration with city officials and refining event strategies based on the insights gained from Placer AI's analytics.