Oro Valley updates DMO: leisure travel study, new website, app metrics and budget allocations

Community and Economic Development Director Paul Melcher and Explore Oro Valley Destination Marketing Manager Crystal Frank presented the council on March 19 with an update on the town’s new Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), the leisure travel study, marketing work and budget allocations to support resorts, events and a forthcoming website.

The town established the DMO after separating its agreement with Visit Tucson in 2024. Melcher said the DMO’s initial focus was prospecting group leads for resorts, but resorts resumed some ties with Visit Tucson, so staff shifted toward leisure travel research, stakeholder engagement and digital marketing. The DMO currently lists a growing stakeholder group of resorts, local venues and parks affiliates and has begun work on an RFP for a leisure travel study that Melcher estimated could take six to eight months to complete.

Crystal Frank outlined current marketing activities: the Explore OV app (launched in fall) has 6,712 total users, 9,508 sessions and 45,891 page views; the town launched an Explore Oro Valley Instagram account in January and had 1,353 followers by March 19; and the public‑art bus tours have sold out multiple dates, with 455 seats booked across added tours. The DMO co‑worked with Discover Marana on sporting and cycling event promotion; Frank cited the Tucson Bicycle Classic (577 riders, 440 from out of town) and Project Echelon (April 5–6) as examples of events that drive room nights and out‑of‑town visitation. Staff estimated a direct economic impact figure for the Bicycle Classic in the press materials at about $183,000.

Budget and next steps: Melcher said the town reallocated funds previously paid to Visit Tucson into a $410,000 DMO budget: roughly $380,000 for marketing/platforms, resort support, staffing and operations, plus $30,000 for group sponsorships. Melcher told council that consultant costs for the leisure travel study are likely $130,000–$150,000 and that staff have shifted some internal allocations to cover the consultant; he estimated about $165,000 remaining to support website development and potential carryover into the next fiscal year. The DMO also plans a leisure travel advisory board discussion in June and anticipates an implementation plan with one‑, three‑ and five‑year milestones.

Council questions and staff responses: Council members asked about stakeholder composition (staff said current stakeholder working meetings are quarterly and closed; a tourism advisory board with citizen participation is anticipated), website one‑time and annual costs (staff estimated initial development plus an annual maintenance estimate of roughly $10,000–$25,000), and options for insourcing vs. contracting social‑media work. Staff said they currently plan to contract some services rather than create untenable legacy personnel costs and that trade‑show support for resorts could be reimbursed up to 50% by the DMO budget. Staff said web platforms under consideration include HelmsBriscoe, Cvent, and PlayEasy for planner and sports lead generation.

Why it matters: The DMO will centralize leisure marketing for resorts and attractions, track room nights generated by events, and use a leisure travel study to inform venue improvements and future CIP requests. Council members asked for additional reporting and suggested citizen representation on future advisory bodies.

Ending: Melcher and Frank said staff will return with updates as the leisure travel study and website development progress, and the town will present a tourism advisory board formation item in June.