2025-2026 Marketing Plan

FINANCE AND RESEARCH

Report from the Executive Vice President

Cabarrus County tourism continues to set new highs year after year. Overall, the industry has grown 700% over the last two decades. This growth is attributable to all the visitors who chose Cabarrus County due to the hospitality partners who have developed their businesses, created experiences, and provided exceptional service. Overall revenues are expected to moderate in FY2026. The US Travel Association has forecasted domestic leisure travel to increase by 3.9% due to continued air travel volumes and consumer spending. The ongoing return of business travel will support future domestic travel growth with full recovery expected in 2026. In addition, definite group room nights to Cabarrus County are pacing ahead of last year. The FY2026 budget has been set at $7,556,500. The Bureau receives 97% of its funding through a 6% Occupancy Tax on hotel stays. In the summer of 2025 the Home2 Suites/Tru dual brand hotel is expected to open. This new 184 room hotel will combine the extended-stay focused Home2 Suites with the value-oriented Tru by Hilton brand under one roof. The Bureau operates on a zero-based budget,

and the expenditures will be divided into three major categories: Salary and Wage at 28.0%, Administration and Operations at 12%, and Sales and Marketing at 60%. The Bureau’s budget has pre-allocated expenses with 10% being retained by the County for administrative collection and sports facility development funding. The Bureau’s research efforts continue to provide valuable insights that help maximize the investments made in sales and marketing. In the upcoming year, the Bureau will be partnering with Tourism Economics and their new Media Impact Calculator (MIC). This tool is a cutting-edge solution designed to measure and optimize the effectiveness of media campaigns. It links mobile devices to media exposures, quantifying the real-world impact of advertising on visitation and the economic outcomes for the community. The objective is to offer a holistic view of how digital campaigns impact consumer behavior, focusing on visitor traffic and conversion metrics. The Bureau looks forward to sharing this new data with local partners and stakeholders as it is implemented.

Sincerely, John Mills Executive Vice President Cabarrus County Convention & Visitors Bureau