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BDAP approves Visit Bend fiscal 2025–26 business plan and budget
Summary
The Bend advisory panel approved Visit Bend’s business plan and budget for fiscal year 2025–26 after a presentation on visitor spending, marketing strategy and longer-term alignment with the city’s Invest Bend economic development work.
Visit Bend’s board and staff presented their fiscal year 2025–26 business plan and budget to the Bend Destination Advisory Panel on June 2, and the panel voted to approve the plan and forward it to City Council.
Visit Bend representatives told the panel that visitor spending in calendar year 2024 totaled about $386.3 million and that spending supported growth in travel-generated employment and earnings. "The presentation in our plan hopefully reflects both of those things," Visit Bend staff said when describing their dual goals of supporting the lodging sector and community quality of life.
Panel members pressed for clarity on cadence and expected outcomes. Panel member Jen asked how often Visit Bend will report back and whether recent marketing actions are intended to reverse three years of essentially flat lodging tax revenue. Visit Bend said it will provide twice-yearly updates to BDAP, and identified two main tactics intended to grow room-tax revenue in the near term: a return to targeted summer marketing during lower-occupancy periods and an expanded push for group business, including feasibility work on conference and convention space.
Visit Bend’s presentation broke out visitor spending categories from calendar year 2024: meals and food at about $118 million; arts, entertainment and recreation about $34.9 million; shopping and retail about $31.7 million; transportation and gas about $30 million; and lodging about $31.7 million. Staff emphasized that lodging generates room tax revenue for the City of Bend’s general fund and said their contract with the city directs them to "meet the needs of the local lodging industry and [to] maximize room tax revenue for the city of Bend." The panel and Visit Bend discussed how Visit Bend is coordinating with Invest Bend and other partners to develop KPIs and share spend data.
Visit Bend said it has shifted some contracted marketing work in-house (raising personnel spend while internalizing previous contractor costs), is pursuing strategic partnerships to reach new demographics, and plans a feasibility study on conference/convention space tied to partner planning at the airport and fairgrounds. Visit Bend also described a cultural tourism grant program and a sustainability fund used to support community events and DEI-focused programming.
After discussion, a member moved to approve "the business plan and budget for fiscal year 2025 through 2026 as presented" and the motion was seconded. The panel recorded an affirmative vote; the chair declared the motion carried and Visit Bend was directed to take the plan to City Council for final consideration.
Less critical details: Visit Bend said it is in year three of a five-year contract with the city and typically presents midyear and in May; staff said they are preparing to align more closely with the Invest Bend economic strategy as that work continues.
