LTVA Bulletin – February

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Welcome to the February edition of the South Shore Bulletin brought to you by the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority. Our goal is to highlight tourism trends, strategy, initiatives, and programs that increase visitor awareness, support our community and environment, and strengthen our economy.

Public Relations Update
A woman trying to catch a snowflake on her tongue during a snowstorm in the forest

Operation Sierra Storm, the television meteorologists’ conference organized by the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, generated national attention and provided comprehensive broadcast coverage and social media results for South Lake Tahoe’s historic December snowfall. The 25th version of the conference has, to date, generated 39 television reports/interviews, 97 social posts and reached an audience of 6 million, with additional airings from major networks expected later this month.

Attendees included television meteorologists representing The Weather Channel, ABC World News Tonight, New York, NBC Washington DC, Fox Boston, and stations in Cleveland, Denver, Miami, Minnesota, Orlando, Sacramento, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, West-Central Pennsylvania, Bakersfield, Charlotte, and Reno. Interviews conducted from Heavenly Mountain Resort, Edgewood Tahoe, Heavenly Village, and the stateline corridor, exposed Tahoe’s winter snowpack, quality skiing, the ski industry’s current and future trends, as well as efforts to improve lake clarity.

Marketing Update
A family of skiers and snowboarders on top of a mountain

The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority is currently running an advertising campaign in the San Francisco, Sacramento, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Seattle markets. Audiences include the Affluent Adventurer and Entertainment Seeker. To date the campaign has received 32 million impressions through Facebook/Instagram, display, video and connected TV which has resulted in a 2% partner referral conversion rate which is a 668% increase on the previous quarter. Of the intent audiences, the Affluent Adventurer audience performed the best for paid social and display and Entertainment Seeker for video. Sacramento outperformed all campaigns on paid social in the click through rate and conversion rate.

Events Center Update
Five people wearing masks and decorative reindeer antlers at a Tahoe South booth

The building is taking shape and going up fast! Steel has been delivered and trusses are being assembled for placement at the beginning of February. Interior finishes have been approved and several contracts for equipment have been awarded. The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority has hired a sales services coordinator to work with Stuart Maas, Director of Marketing and Conference Sales, and the Events Center General Manager, to raise awareness of the venue’s planned opening in early 2023. National and regional conferences and youth sports organizations have shown strong interest with several tentative events on the books.

Did You Know?

  • Los Angeles ranked 3rd on South Lake Tahoe’s visitor origin markets in January, behind the Bay Area and Sacramento area.
  • 30% of visitors were from out-of-state with Dallas, TX and Phoenix, AZ listed as the top markets during the month of January.
  • The Tahoe South website saw over 218,000 sessions with more than 168,000 new users during the month of January.

The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority is powered by the South Lake Tahoe Tourism Improvement District and the Tahoe Douglas Visitors Authority.
Community News, Industry