Hilton Head Island tourism bureau wins council approval for FY26 marketing plan; council questions data and strategy

The town council on May 6 approved the visitor bureau(operating under the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce) proposed destination marketing plan and FY26 budget, allocating larger shares to digital marketing and maintaining media partnerships and public relations, presenters said.

Ariana Pernice, who leads the visitor and convention bureau, told council the bureau will focus on five destination pillars (ecotourism, history, arts and culture, recreation and wellness) and use a mix of owned digital channels, paid digital advertising and media partnerships to drive "handshakes" (click-throughs) to local businesses. The bureau reported 3.3 million website visits in 2024 and roughly 1.5 million partner click-throughs from the site.

Budget and strategy points - The bureau presented a proposed FY26 marketing budget that shifts more spending toward digital marketing (proposed $1,200,000) and reduces the media partnerships line (proposed $718,000, down from $960,000 in the prior year request). Representatives said the change reflects evolving consumer behavior and a desire to own more of the digital customer journey. - The plan includes a dedicated golf-marketing allocation (presented as $200,000) to maintain a dedicated microsite for the island's 23 courses and capture RFP leads for group golf business; the bureau said this supports local courses and the destination's golf economy. - Public relations and earned media work were highlighted; bureau staff cited placements and partnerships with outlets such as Conde Nast Traveler, Southern Living and Garden & Gun as examples of earned coverage that supports ongoing marketing.

Council questions and data concerns - Council members pressed for more seasonal detail (shoulder-season vs. summer metrics) and asked the bureau to break out hotel and homes-and-villas performance separately in future reports. - Councilmember Tunner raised a concern about the visitor-profile research: she noted the College of Charleston visitor survey reported a drop in completed survey responses (the presentation and council discussion cited a fall from roughly 2,900 responses in one prior year to about 1,040 in the most recent year) and asked whether that decline undermines the profile's reliability. Pernice and bureau staff acknowledged the survey's limitations and said they are working to blend traditional survey intercepts with real-time data sources such as Placer.ai and to press the research partner for improvements. - Councilmembers asked for more regular, seasonal reporting to assess return on investment through shoulder seasons and to track festival and event-driven demand.

Council action - The finance administrative committee, the accommodations tax (ATAX) committee and the town-wide marketing council had reviewed the plan before the full council meeting. Councilmember Bryson moved to approve the destination marketing plan and budget; Councilmember Alfred seconded. The council voted 7-0 to approve.

What this means for businesses and visitors - The bureau said its digital front door, HiltonHeadIsland.org, generated more than 3.3 million visits in 2024 and created about 1.5 million outbound connections to island businesses. The FY26 plan emphasizes converting those site visits to reservations and RFP leads through targeted digital campaigns, PR placements and a vacation-planner publication.

Speakers and attributions in this report are drawn from the meeting record: Ariana Pernice (Visitor & Convention Bureau), Ray Deal (Chamber controller), Councilmembers Bryson, Alfred, Becker and Tunner, and bureau PR lead Charlie Clark.