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DMO reports national coverage and mixed lodging metrics; council asks for deeper ROI and market comparisons
Summary
Ariana Pernice presented the DMO’s April–June 2024 quarterly report highlighting national media placements (including a New York Times feature and Conde Nast campaign impressions), website/social metrics and lodging data showing Q4 occupancy down ~8% and RevPAR down ~6%; council requested comparative market data and ROI measures for marketing spend.
Ariana Pernice, presenting on behalf of the chamber and the Hilton Head Island Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), told Town Council the DMO’s April–June 2024 quarter produced significant earned and paid media reach and that the organization is prioritizing shoulder‑season visitors and high‑value markets.
Pernice pointed to national placements and partnerships, noting a New York Times story and a long‑running Conde Nast Traveler digital and social campaign. "With the long flight time of October through June, we delivered over 21,500,000 impressions," she said, citing campaign reach and engagement metrics. She reported roughly 986,000 website sessions and about 789,000 unique users for the quarter and said social channels produced broad engagement across platforms.
The DMO also presented lodging metrics: for Q4 (April–June) the DMO reported occupancy down about 8% year‑over‑year, average daily rate (ADR) up about 2%, and revenue per available room (RevPAR) down about 6%. Pernice characterized the occupancy decline as part of a national pattern, pointing to economic uncertainty and international travel reopening as contributors.
Council questions focused on measurement and strategy. Councilman Stanford and others asked whether the occupancy decline was industrywide or unique to Hilton Head and requested comparative market data and a clearer ROI for marketing buys. Pernice said early tracking shows the decline is largely national and described ongoing improvements to research and reporting the DMO will share with council. Council members also requested resident sentiment measures and periodic summarized reports showing how campaigns map to the DMO’s five pillars (ecotourism, history, arts and culture, recreation and wellness).
Why it matters: the presentation links marketing investments to lodging and local economic activity (tax revenues, retail and restaurant spending). Council signaled it wants more granular comparative analysis and proof points to inform future budget and strategy discussions.
What’s next: staff and the DMO agreed to provide additional competitive-market comparisons, more regular ROI reporting on major buys, and a resident‑satisfaction update to help council assess the marketing program’s alignment with town goals.
