LTVA Bulletin – March

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

Go West Summit Lake Tahoe

Go West Summit Appointments in the Tahoe Blue Event Center. Photo Laney Griffo.

LTVA had the honor of hosting the 36th annual Go West Summit at the Tahoe Blue Event Center last week, highlighting our destination to over 500 registered attendees from 18 U.S. states and over 20 countries. The attendees not only got to experience the destination but also conducted more than 8000 one-on-one appointments combined. Highlights from the conference include an in-person address from State of Nevada Lt. Governor Stavros Anthony, support and recognition from Senator Jacky Rosen via video message, and a presentation on destination stewardship from our very own Carol Chaplin and Cathy Ritter.

UK Familiarization Tour (Fam Tour)

LTVA’s Public Relations agency, Weidinger PR, and our UK representative firm, and The Pilgrim Group, organized a U.K. & Ireland Media FAM this week including journalists representing Luxurious Magazine, Irish Mail, and Travel Weekly UK. The group embarked on a three-day journey throughout our destination, experiencing not only the winter activities, but also the lay of the land, lodging and dining options. In addition to featuring their findings in forthcoming articles within their respective publications, the journalists will leverage their personal social media platforms to convey their impressions and highlight the allure of our destination to a broader audience.

Visit California’s 2024 Tourism Trends

Visit California’s 2024 Pulse Report, which compiles the latest trends in tourism may be useful in shaping new offerings and forthcoming marketing.

• According to the IMG Travel Outlook Survey, culinary tourism is on the rise. The survey found that cuisine ranks as the second most important aspect for travelers when choosing a destination.
• Travelers are also prioritizing a good night’s rest, with 58% of travelers opting for getaways focused on undisturbed sleep, according to Booking.com. Anticipated trends for 2024 include sleep concierges, technological interventions for improved sleep and the emergence of “sleep retreats.”
• According to Skift Megatrends 2024, Christopher Elliott declared 2024 “the year of the solo traveler” in a recent Forbes piece. However, solo travel doesn’t equate to loneliness. A big part of the rise of solo travel is travelers wanting to meet new people – so brands must be ready to help them build lasting connections.

South Shore in the Media

• Travel Pulse featured Lake Tahoe as one of the safest spring travel destinations, with a mention of our region’s newest resort, Margaritaville.
• Matador Network published a detailed writeup also touting the south shore as an ideal springtime destination and this one is loaded with links to local partners. This piece is sponsored content in collaboration with Noble Design Studios.
• Visit California featured Lake Tahoe as a year-round destination with a number of south shore shout outs throughout, in collaboration with our partner agency, Weidinger Public Relations.

Did You Know?

• Ryn Muat, LTVA’s Communications & Community Outreach Manager was appointed to the City of South Lake Tahoe’s Arts, Culture & Tourism Committee on February 27, 2024. Arts and culture benefit everyone, enriching the daily lives of residents and drawing visitors from near and far.
• The Lake Tahoe Summer Concert Series at Harveys has announced five of this summer’s performers. Harveys Concert series 2024 lineup so far.
• In March 2024, Reno‐Tahoe International Airport (RNO) will offer 1,833 departures, an increase of 8.7% YOY. The monthly seat capacity is up 12.3% versus March 2023.

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.