Visit Laredo reviews marketing, hotel outreach and visitor programs; member excused

At a Visit Laredo meeting (date not specified), staff reviewed recent marketing efforts, visitor metrics and outreach programs and the board approved an excused absence for a member.

Visit Laredo staff told members the destination is seeing continuing activity from sports tournaments, a growing podcast and social‑media campaigns, and that promotional efforts in Mexico and at hotels are central to upcoming work. Staff highlighted a new Spanish brochure, an active “coffee tour” involving about 15–16 shops, and plans for a mobile visitor center to support off‑site activations.

Staff presented recent performance figures showing hotel occupancy and spending patterns informally summarized in the packet. The report cited about 76% hotel occupancy for November–December in one table and an average daily rate in the $140s; staff also pointed to a roughly $40,000 drop in one November month compared with projection data and asked for follow‑up to identify causes. Staff said Visit Laredo is tracking American and Mexican visitor patterns separately; Mexico visitors were reported to spend more time in central Laredo than U.S. visitors.

Marketing activity described included targeted media buys, a new Spotify podcast, expanded social‑media engagement, and plans to update the Visit Laredo website in the spring. Staff said they are testing giveaways and collaboration posts with hotels and other partners; they discussed adding Pinterest and LinkedIn content and shifting posting times to reach different audience segments. Staff said they will continue monthly hotel visits—roughly five to ten properties per month—to monitor conditions and gather promotional material.

On cross‑promotion and retail merchandising, staff reported modest sales at an airport retail location and discussed wholesale or consignment arrangements with cultural partners and arts venues to place Visit Laredo merchandise and brochures. Staff said they make multiple trips to Mexican markets each month (about four trips) and are preparing Spanish collateral and printed leave‑behind packets for trade and economic outreach.

Events and group sales were a major focus: staff outlined an active February sports calendar (softball, baseball, track and golf), the incoming WBCA event in October 2025, continuing outreach at trade shows (RTO Summit, Southwest Showcase, SGMP/MPI chapters) and follow‑up on Requests for Proposals for meetings. Staff also described outreach to leisure travel groups at the RTO Summit and ongoing solicitation of conventions and faith‑based groups.

Staff reported progress on destination accessibility certification efforts (described as in final steps) and an international relations program that included recent travel and planned training with Mexican counterparts. They noted interest from Mexican emergency‑services agencies in virtual and in‑person training collaborations.

Operational items discussed included a proposal for a mobile visitor center van to support festivals and out‑of‑town activations, arrangements for placing literature in hotel lobby racks (staff noted some hotels keep brochure racks at check‑in areas), and experiments with promotional distribution to nearby hotels and attractions. Staff also described visitor research tools (a subscription service used to track visitor ZIP‑code data) and said staff would follow up with cultural partners to test cross‑sales or wholesale arrangements.

Votes at a glance

- Raymond Cunningham: Board approved an excused absence for a funeral. Motion made and seconded; recorded vote: 2 yes, 0 no, outcome approved (names not specified in the record).

The meeting closed with scheduling and logistical items for upcoming meetings and trade travel. Staff said they will follow up on the November revenue variance, pursue permission from partners to place merchandise at cultural venues, advance the mobile visitor center procurement, and continue monthly hotel visits and targeted outreach to Mexican markets.