The City of Prescott Tourism Program is a peer city benchmark to gain an understanding of what works for the City of Prescott in regard to tourism.

City of Prescott Tourism Program

The City of Prescott is a single-government Destination Marketing Organization.
Single Cities or Towns are self-managing the Designation Marketing Organization DMO and operate under a fee-for-service method.

City of Prescott Tourism Strategic Plan, Vision, Mission, and Guiding Principles

Operate as a “Fee for Services” outsourcing items to experts in the field.
- Consultants
- Marketing personnel at Trade Shows
- Graphic Arts & Media Services
- Website developers
- Research, Data Collection experts
- Visitors services
A City personnel manages the tourism elements, and a department or office
Tourism Advisory Committee TAC comprised of representing the hospitality industry, three local business community members, and one City Council member
- Come up with advice, and provide guidance and strategic direction to the tourism team. Typically setting up the policy, reviewing data and performance, and reporting to City Council.

Learn more on DMO types

The City of Prescott operates as a single government DMO, City Bed Tax Driven. To understand more about Arizona’s Policy for Designation Marketing Organizations Arizona’s Official DMO policy

The City Bed Tax was driven, with a taxing area being a single designated area, the City of Prescott. The City of Prescott markets through AOT, a rural program Airport.

Under A.R.S. § 5-802 Formation of authority Yavapai County has not formed a Tourism Authority and under the current law can’t form one. Formation of Authority is a County Designation and requires a vote for the county. Read more here.

Operating as the Official City DMO with the Arizona Office of Tourism, allows the City of Prescott to market with the State AOT programs. Many are free, some are coop. The resources for a city in the Arizona Office of Tourism are incredible.
The City of Prescott Office of Tourism contracts third-party organizations for tourism-related services. Based on “Fee for Service” there were two contracts I requested. Front Burner Media for consulting and the other to Prescott Chamber of Commerce for a combination of services.

How Can Tourism Dollars be spent?

Tourism taxes under A.R.S. 9-500.6 expenditures by a city or town for the promotion of tourism include Expenditures by the city or town to develop, improve or operate tourism-related attractions or facilities or to assist in the planning and promotion of such attractions and facilities

Arizona-Tourism-update-2022-City-Of-Prescott-Tourism-Vison-Mission-Guidine-principles Download

Below is an Infosheet on the City of Prescott’s Revenues & Expenditures.

FY 23 City of Prescott – Office of Tourism =
$1,475,000 including marketing, administration, infrastructure, and other tourism-related costs including maintenance.

Vendors

Front Burner Media contract not to exceed $37,800.00

The Prescott Chamber of Commerce contract is for the annual fee for service $25,000. The contract includes visitor services and sales support in Tourism Groups Trade shows.

Includes FAM Tours, Sales calls & support convention services when needed. They also work with the City on specific tasks. Corporate Tables for the city, Visitor services, Annual banner ads, chamber membership, reservation for Chambers luncheons, All-inclusive E-Communications, and much more.

At the time I requested the contract with the Prescott Chamber, I also requested the “performance metrics” from the City of Prescott for the Prescott Chamber. The performance metrics included all Visitor Information Center stats broken down by Calls, walk in, international, packets sent, custom, relocation, and conference. Rack activity and Historical Walking Tours were also included.

Overview-Prescott-tourism-green Download