sedona news – The City of Sedona invites the community to a tourism listening session on Monday, January 22, 2024 from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road. Local residents will have an opportunity to voice their ideas and concerns about tourism while city staff and consultants listen. Input from this meeting will help inform the City's currently developing tourism strategic plan, destination brand, and marketing plan.

More specifically, during the listening session, residents will be asked to answer specific questions regarding tourism, such as:

• What are the biggest strategic opportunities and challenges facing Sedona as a destination?
• What does a balanced tourism economy look like for Sedona?
• What is the mission of the city's tourism program?
• What is the most important thing you want to tell your visitors before they come or during their stay?

background
Effective July 1, 2023, the City will become Sedona's official destination marketing and management organization recognized by the Arizona Department of Tourism. To develop the city's tourism program, officials hired her two agencies to assist with the following key components:

1. Coraggio Group develops tourism strategic plans that focus on responsible visitation and destination management.
2. DVA Advertising and Public Relations. Develop destination brand and identity and support seasonal marketing campaigns.

The two agencies collaborated on three surveys, including a survey of residents about their feelings about tourism, a survey of tourists about their travel experiences in Sedona, and a survey of national travelers about their feelings about Sedona as a vacation destination.

The agencies also conducted interviews with more than 15 stakeholders, including both the Sedona Lodging Council and the Sedona Tourism Advisory Board. This hearing session will be the final way for these agencies to gather input before drafting the tourism strategic plan, destination brand, and marketing plan.

For more information
For more information about tourism listening sessions, please contact Kegn Moorcroft, City of Sedona Special Initiatives Coordinator, at 928-203-5179 or kmoorcroft@SedonaAZ.gov.