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Oro Valley commissioners debate readiness, costs and data needs for a new leisure travel plan and DMO
Summary
Staff proposed a leisure travel plan and a five-year goal to boost visitation 10%; commissioners pressed for clearer data (short-term rental reporting, website costs) and questioned the town's capacity and budget to operate a standalone DMO now.
Oro Valley — At a special Tourism Advisory Commission meeting on Jan. 26, staff presented a draft Oro Valley Leisure Travel Destination Management Plan and a recommendation to increase visitation by 10% over five years, prompting a split among commissioners about whether the town is ready to operate an independent destination marketing organization (DMO).
Paul Melcher, the town's director of community and economic development, told commissioners the report in their packet shows lodging-related collections through Dec. 2025 and includes models that estimate visitor origin and spending. "We've collected approximately $737,000 worth of lodging-related transient lodging sales taxes," Melcher said, noting January through April are typically the slowest quarters for visitation.
The presentation included an attached spreadsheet that models visitor estimates by…
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