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County tourism update: Ogden preparing for RAGBRAI, notes growth in Airbnbs and $27.4M in direct spending
Summary
County tourism staff told the council RAGBRAI will pass through Ogden July 21 and outlined route and staging plans; officials also reported 76 Airbnbs in the county and cited $27.4 million in annual direct tourism spending (state figures lagged).
Chris briefed the council on recent county tourism activity and upcoming events, including RAGBRAI routing and local staging. He said RAGBRAI would come through Ogden Tuesday, July 21, with organizers planning a bike station and first-aid presence at the town’s entry block and that co-chairs will meet with event officials, emergency management, the sheriff and EMS to finalize the route.
Chris updated the council on marketing efforts: 11 wayfinding signs have been placed across the county, partnerships with local businesses include a Fareway truck wrap used for promotions, and staff maintain a prominent Iowa State Fair booth. He reported that the county now lists 76 Airbnbs (up from 13 four years earlier) and said direct tourism spending was listed at $27.4 million in state reports (the presenter noted those figures lag one year).
Chris also mentioned previous large events hosted at county facilities (NJCAA National Golf Tournament and the Iowa Firefighters Convention), said the Pyrotech fireworks event boosted lodging revenue, and outlined efforts to increase influencer outreach and a wayfinding passport to encourage visitors to explore multiple attractions.
Council thanked staff and asked staff to continue working with RAGBRAI and the county team to finalize route details and community logistics.
