Tourism director seeks vendor quotes for 2020–2025 destination strategic plan, budget under $25,000

Amy Lukasick, interim tourism director, told the Flagler County Tourist Development Council on April 17 that the tourism office will solicit quotes from qualified vendors to lead a 2020–2025 destination strategic plan and that staff will return to the board with vendor recommendations and a process overview.

Lukasick said the role of a destination marketing organization has shifted and the plan will engage community stakeholders to define what the destination should look like and steps the county must take. She distributed the book Destination Leadership to board members to provide shared context ahead of vendor selection and asked members to read it before the next meeting.

When asked about cost, Lukasick said initial research indicates the work will be “under $25,000,” the amount budgeted for the project. She said specific timelines will depend on the chosen vendor’s approach; some vendors provide more extensive stakeholder surveying and longer engagement schedules. Lukasick said she will return with vendor quotes and process details once procurement is complete.

Why this matters: a destination strategic plan guides marketing priorities, partnership strategies, and investment decisions that shape visitor demand and local business opportunities. The board asked for digital-metrics benchmarking as part of the planning inputs; a member specifically asked staff to provide at least three years of website and digital-activity trend data to use as a baseline.

Sources: Council meeting transcript (April 17, 2019); remarks by Amy Lukasick, interim tourism director.