Go Lake Havasu reports rising visitor interest, plans visitor-center overhaul
Loading...
Summary
Go Lake Havasu told the City Council its marketing and outreach drove record bed- and restaurant-tax receipts, large international web traffic gains and plans to reconfigure the visitor center and expand tourism programs.
Terrence Kincannon, representing Go Lake Havasu, gave the tourism bureau’s annual update to the Lake Havasu City Council on Sept. 10, saying the bureau is seeing year-over-year growth in tax-related revenue and web traffic and is planning a reimagining of the visitor center.
Kincannon said bed-tax and restaurant-tax receipts were at record highs and that the bureau’s web metrics showed growth in the United States and larger increases from international markets, including the United Kingdom, India, Mexico and several European countries. He said golakehavasu.com carries a “100% quality assurance rating from Siteimprove” and that the bureau’s visitor-center count exceeds 100,000 visits per year.
The bureau described several planned and in-progress projects: a redesign of the visitor center that removes a stage, installs new flooring, a circular information desk, employee restrooms and exterior LED signage controlled from bureau offices; a two-year production cycle for the printed visitor and dining guide (200,000 copies distributed across the Southwest; 35,000 dining guides distributed in the Colorado River area); new microsites (including a Go Hike Havasu trails site) and expanded digital and cooperative marketing in Europe. Kincannon also noted staff certification as “autism travel professionals” and work to identify quiet zones for visitors with sensory needs.
Council members asked about the upcoming visitor study and international visitation trends. Kincannon said the bureau will again work with Prism (the firm used previously) and that they use a mix of the bureau’s collected contact lists and incentives to gather responses. On international growth, he said Arizona Office of Tourism data show rising engagement from Mexico and Europe and that cooperative marketing and daily social media posts have helped broaden the bureau’s reach.
Kincannon listed the bureau’s event-funding priorities (marketing assistance focused on September through February) and said the committee emphasizes recruiting and retaining events with the highest tourism impact. He cited more than 300 events in Lake Havasu City and noted several recent media placements, including national- and international outlets.
The presentation closed with images and videos the bureau will use to market the city and a request for continued council support as the bureau expands its digital and outreach work.
