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Convention & Visitors Bureau reports rebound and highlights bicentennial events, new branding and expanded visitor hours
Summary
The city's tourism office reported a busy year that included bicentennial programming, Tejas Fest, new tourism branding and plans to expand visitor center hours; staff cited rising website traffic, sold-out trolley tours and continued emphasis on sports and event recruitment.
The Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) presented its annual report to the Victoria City Council, highlighting bicentennial activities, a new tourism brand, sold-out trolley tours, an estimated boost in visitation tied to Tejas Fest and plans to expand visitor-center service hours.
Role and staffing: Joel (CVB staff member) said the bureau maintained core visitor-services functions while supporting bicentennial programming and special events. He thanked staff members Bridgette Postel (guest services specialist), Elizabeth Theis (assistant director) and Nancy Britton (destination marketing manager) for their work; Joel told the council that two CVB staff members had reached 10-year milestones with the bureau.
Bicentennial and events: The CVB reported multiple bicentennial activities, including a revamped historic trolley tour that sold out its runs, a well-attended April 13 celebration and a bicentennial ball that showcased the potential of the Community Center for large events. Joel said the CVB will provide a full Tejas Fest report to the council at the end of the second meeting in February; preliminary Datify analytics indicated an increase in out-of-town visitation on the Tejas Fest weekend.
Branding and marketing: The bureau unveiled a new tourism brand — "Discover Victoria" with the slogan "True to Tejas" — and refreshed visitor guides, maps and digital assets. Joel said the website recorded about 160,000 visits in the reported year, organic search remained a primary driver of traffic, and the CVB's social posts provided free promotion to local businesses (Joel said those posts produced roughly $550,000 in reach for featured businesses).
Operations and future initiatives: The CVB plans a soft launch expanding visitor-center hours with a staffed transaction window in the 700 Main lobby on Thursdays and Fridays (5–7 p.m.) and Saturdays (10 a.m.–3 p.m.), with a grand opening planned for Feb. 7. Joel said the CVB will pursue a local lodging association, consider short-term-rental registration options, manage fireworks procurement for July 4 and New Year's Eve if council approves a contract, and develop stronger sales efforts for sports and conventions if Community Center improvements proceed.
Challenges: Joel identified limited staffing, aging signage assets, and uneven business engagement as constraints. Council and staff discussed how any expansion or renovation of the Community Center would create a need for more active event recruitment and possibly additional CVB staff to maximize bookings.
Ending: The council received the report and thanked the CVB for its work on bicentennial programming and ongoing tourism efforts; staff said they would return with more detailed reports on Tejas Fest and any proposed procurement for fireworks or visitor-center changes.
