Welcome to the September 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.

Connect Meetings Announces South Shore of Tahoe as 2025

West Tradeshow Host

Kevin Boryczki, OVG360 (center, left), and Stuart Maas, LTVA (center, right) celebrate with Connect staff.

Visit Lake Tahoe Sales Staff, Stuart Maas and Cameron Wiebe, along with OVG360 staff, Kevin Boryczki and Aline Thibodeaux, attended Connect Marketplace in Milwaukee in August. Over three days, they conducted over 80 one-on-one appointments with Corporate and Association meeting planners.

Stuart also officially announced to the 3000 attendees present that South Lake Tahoe and the Tahoe Blue Event Center will host Connect West in October 2025. This signature reverse-style trade show serves event professionals who are planning and sourcing events in the Western region. Connect staff joined in on the celebration.

South Shore Passport is Live

A screenshot of the new South Shore Passport map.

As we turn from summer towards conference peak season, LTVA has launched the South Shore Passport to encourage conference attendees at the Tahoe Blue Event Center to explore all that our region has to offer during unscheduled time or added bleisure days. You can view the map here.

Conference organizers can now share the map with attendees via printed QR code and digitally on the conference website. While in town, attendees will show their conference badge at participating businesses to take advantage of available offers.

Businesses are welcome to enroll at any time and update available offers. To do so, fill out the form here.

Meaningful Travel Map Formal Launch

A screenshot of a portion of the South Shore Meaningful Travel Map.

Travelers increasingly prioritize sustainability in their trip planning, not just in terms of where they visit within a given destination, but even as a part of how they select their destination. LTVA is staying ahead of the curve and has expanded and formally launched the South Shore’s Meaningful Travel Map, a product provided by Tourism Cares. The map currently highlights 14 businesses in our region including lodging, dining, retail, and activities. If you would like to be considered for inclusion, review the criteria set forth by Tourism Cares, and email Ryn Muat, ryn@visitlaketahoe.com, to initiate your application. Enrollment is ongoing.

Vail Resorts Hosts NGO Reception and Sustainability Panel

Sustainability panel and moderator at the NGO Reception at Riva Grill

On August 27, Vail Resorts hosted a reception for South Shore non-profits that included a panel of speakers discussing sustainability, climate change, and how both factor into visitation and our local environment and community. The panel speakers who are pictured above were, from left to right, Carol Chaplin, President & CEO of LTVA; Laura Patten, Natural Resource Director at the League to Save Lake Tahoe; Victoria Ortiz, Community Engagement Manager, TRPA; Chairman Smokey, Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California; Ryan Groat, Sustainability Manager, Vail Resorts; and panel moderator, Amy Berry, CEO, Tahoe Fund.

The overarching themes of the dialog were the importance of cultivating a hopeful outlook to inspire action, working together to find solutions, and the need to continue educating both residents and visitors about how they can assist in caring for our environment. Chairman Smokey shared about the return of Traditional Ecological Knowledge to the basin and a shift within the tribe to wanting to collaborate and negotiate in order to work together on the issues of our times, stressing the importance of building not just working relationships but friendships. Carol Chaplin underscored this point, stating, “The era of Zoom meetings is over. If we are going to effect change, we need to be in the same room with each other.”

Did You Know?

• Zartico Travel Trends reports that the percentage of “summer vacation” trips shifting to September continues to increase according to research done by Deloitte. The percentage of summer trips slated for post-Labor Day September has risen from 12% in 2022 to 17% in 2024.
• Softer Leisure Demand Leads Hotel Brands, REITs to Lower 2024 Rooms Revenue Outlook | CoStar
• A Recent Rise in Jobless Rate Carries Pros and Cons for Travel | Travel Weekly

South Shore in the Media

The following earned media was published this past month:

• Luxe Beat writes that South Lake Tahoe is for every type of traveler.
• The San Jose Mercury News covers what’s new on the south shore.
• Hastings Tribune highlights the Reno-Tahoe Territory.

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.