Welcome to the August edition of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority’s South Shore Bulletin. This newsletter highlights tourism trends, strategies, initiatives, and programs that increase visitor awareness, support our community and environment, and strengthen our economy.

American Century Championship Recap

This year’s American Century Championship winner, Joe Pavelski, celebrating.

The 36th annual American Century Championship brought another memorable week to the South Shore. With a mix of longtime fan favorites and exciting first-time participants, the event delivered plenty of standout moments on and off the course. Crowds enjoyed beautiful weather, and the energy throughout the week reflected just how special this tournament continues to be for players, fans, and the community alike.

Highlights from the official media report:

• Total clips generated: 4,276
• Total audience/impressions: over 15 billion
• Total estimated publicity value: over $175 million
• NBC initiatives included CNBC, TODAY show, NBC Sports Bay Area, Golf Channel and Access Hollywood coverage.

• On site presence of the Dan Patrick Show and expanded presence of Barstool’s Pardon My Take (America’s #1 sports podcast)

Meet Echo, our new AI-powered chatbot, now live and available directly on the homepage of VisitLakeTahoe.com. Echo can assist visitors 24/7 with questions about tours, events, lodging, dining, transportation, and more – helping guests plan their stay with ease and confidence.

The LTVA team has spent several months fine-tuning Echo’s knowledge base to ensure it reflects the most accurate, up-to-date, and locally relevant information about the South Shore. Echo is also multilingual, capable of communicating in over 45 languages, making it a valuable tool for international guests planning trips to our region.

We encourage you to try it out and to share Echo with your guests as a way to enhance their travel planning experience. We have table top displays available for in-room placement and waiting areas that feature a QR code to chat with Echo.

Rules To Lake By Activations

The Rules To Lake By campaign is reaching new heights this summer with engaging activations designed to connect with visitors in memorable ways. Beyond the coloring books, guests can now spot the campaign flying high, literally, on a branded parasail soaring over the lake, or play through an interactive miniature golf hole at the Heavenly Village Mini Golf course that highlights key stewardship messages. These playful touch points are meant to spark curiosity and reinforce the idea that protecting Lake Tahoe’s awe is simply what we do here. We’re not asking every visitor to participate in a beach cleanup, but we are encouraging everyone to do their part, whether that’s parking responsibly, packing out their trash, or refilling a reusable bottle. Together, those small actions help keep Tahoe beautiful.

Local Updates

• The Emerald Bay Pilot Shuttle program runs daily through October 15. Note that parking near Emerald Bay will be very limited and visitors are encouraged to utilize the shuttle service, which has an online reservation system.

• Let’s welcome our new businesses! Recently Cascade Kitchens, Hot Spot Ceramic Studio, Retroactive Arcade, and Rice have all opened their doors.

• Did you know our Special Offer pages gets about 300 views per day? We currently only have 13 offers listed so this is a great way to get extra visibility for your business. It does not need to be an offer unique to our website – it can be any special you are currently running. Create an offer through the Partner Portal. If you need assistance getting started on the Portal, email Ryn Muat at ryn@visitlaketahoe.com.

Industry Updates

• Hotel Stays Are More Expensive Than Ever. Do Guests Think its Worth it? | TravelAge West

• Las Vegas tourism decline narrative continues as resorts’ prices make headlines | CDC Gaming
• Slow summer of lagging leisure bodes poorly for fall | CoStar
• Planning an accessible trip just got easier with TripAdvisor’s new tool | USA TODAY
• The AI Travel Landscape | Data from Trip Advisor

• Instagram’s Google integration: A game changer for travel marketing | PhocusWire

South Shore in the Media

The following earned media was published this past month:

• This beautiful reel from a recent Korean media tour, supported by Visit California.

• Explore all of the American Century Championship media here.

Photo of the Month

Photo by @jknudsen75 on Instagram, shared with permission.

The South Shore Bulletin is brought to you by the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority,  powered by the South Lake Tahoe Tourism Improvement District
and the Tahoe Douglas Visitors Authority.