Tactic D2.3
Regional Dispersion
Spread visitor impacts regionally by supporting the Sedona Verde Valley Tourism Council and promoting awareness of Sedona/Verde Valley MapGuide and other regional attractions.
Sedona visitors are often drawn to the most popular attractions, resulting in congestion and a diminished visitor experience. Awareness of the full array of experiences in the broader Sedona/Verde Valley region will cause visitors to be dispersed regionally, resulting in long-term sustainability for Sedona. Consideration should be given to expand the efforts of the Sedona Verde Valley Tourism Council. Their successful MapGuide project is a collaboration with National Geographic, highlighting experiences throughout the Verde Valley. Plan elements of the MapGuide will incorporate sustainability goals, ensuring visitors embrace these principles more fully.
IMPACTED PILLARS
TIMEFRAME Short-term (12-18 months)
LEAD PARTNER SCC&TB, Sedona Verde Valley Tourism Council
SUPPORTING PARTNERS City of Sedona, Verde Front Collaborative, Verde Valley Regional Economic Organization, Verde Valley Wine Consortium
ALIGNING RESEARCH Business Survey, Nonprofit Focus Group, Public Input, Industry Best Practices
TARGET / STATUS TO DATE
1. Number of website page views SedonaVerdeValley.org & VerdeValleyNatGeo.com TARGET = 175,000 combined / STATUS = 173,498
2. Benchmark annually through visitor surveys TARGET = TBD / STATUS = TBD
Visitor Services at the Official Chamber Visitor Center
1. Manage Uptown Visitor Center 7-day/week, 59.5 hours (exclude 2 holidays) TARGET = 3,094 / STATUS = 2,030
2. Manage and assist people who walk into the facility TARGET = 300,000 / STATUS = 77,517
3. Manage and assist visitor inquiries via phone and email TARGET = 7,500 / STATUS = 6,876
4. Distribute printed Experience Sedona Guides throughout AZ and US TARGET = 250,000 / STATUS = 204,587
5. Maintain an "excellent or good" visitor satisfaction rating (source: Visitor Center survey) TARGET = Excellent/Good / STATUS = 100%
PROGRESS TO DATE
Regional Dispersion
Spread visitor impacts regionally by supporting the Sedona Verde Valley Tourism Council and promoting awareness of Sedona/Verde Valley Map Guide and other regional attractions
FY22: In the second quarter of FY22, The SCC&TB issued a news release and posted columns and blog posts on the Verde Valley achieving American Viticultural Area status as a method of aiding in the dispersion of visitors throughout the Verde Valley.
FY21: The SCC&TB has initiated outreach to the Sedona Verde Valley Tourism Council to begin discussions for development of a regional marketing and promotion plan embracing all Northern AZ Attractions. SVVTC plans to work with a marketing expert assist the advancing the Verde Valley as a premier regional tourism destination that values its heritage, people, culture and natural resources.
The SCC&TB heavily promoted upvoting the Verde Valley as a USA Today Reader’s Choice Top 10 Wine Region, offering regular social media updates as voting occurred, featuring it in the Red Rock News on two occasions, promoting the vote in newsletters and social media posts, encouraging local news coverage and joining in the public congratulations when the Verde Valley achieved USA Today Top Ten status. At every turn, the SCC&TB promoted the Verde Valley generally as an adjacent attraction that enriches the Sedona experience.
The SCC&TB promoted the result in outreach to national press through their Media Roundup eNewsletter.
FY20: The SCC&TB placed a sidebar in in its Red Rock News article of October 23 promoting the Verde Valley National Geotourism Program.
The SVTTC initiated a new program that included private sector investors for a more robust regional area marketing campaign in FY20, though due to the pandemic, the program was paused in March 2020.