Visit Redding reports growth in hotel stays, urges restored marketing funds

Danny Orloff, tourism marketing director for Visit Redding, told council that year‑over‑year metrics show growth in key areas but cautioned that cuts to marketing and public relations could blunt future gains.

Orloff said local transient‑occupancy‑tax (TOT) revenues have stabilized after recovery from the pandemic; website visits rose 14% and ad impressions were up about 25% in the latest year. He told council the average length of stay increased 12% and average nights per visit rose 2%; repeat visitors were up about 10% compared with the prior year. Visit Redding’s market mix is shifting toward nearby drive markets (Sacramento, Reno and Eureka) rather than longer flights from Seattle or Los Angeles, Orloff said.

Orloff listed recent promotional activity including influencer campaigns, earned media placements (more than 57 articles with a reported reach of over 27 million), and partnerships to highlight local attractions such as the Sundial Bridge, Turtle Bay and regional outdoor recreation. He said Visit Redding shifted contractors this year and lost some PR capacity, which he described as a visible gap: “Marketing and advertising is the fuel for sales,” he said.

Council asked whether recent cuts to Visit Redding’s budget had already reduced results. Orloff said he is seeing a slight downward trend tied to reduced PR investment but that many marketing impacts appear with a long lead time; he urged council to consider restoring marketing funds to maintain traction and maximize return on investment.

No formal action was taken on the presentation; council members thanked Orloff and asked staff to continue coordinating on visitor‑economy metrics.