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Breaking Waves: Dive into Corpus Christi's
Top 5 Tourism Tidbits! 🏝
DMAP with Distinction: Visit Corpus Christi earned the prestigious DMAP designation with Distinction from Destinations International for its commitment to industry excellence and global standards. Air-service to Monterrey, Mexico: Congratulations are in order as the CCIA team scores a destination-wide win with a new direct air-service route to Monterrey, MX via Aerus! [Read More] CDME Recipient: Chief Marketing Officer, Emily Zertuche recently earned her Certified Destination Management Executive designation, the tourism industry’s highest individual educational achievement by Destinations International. Obtaining this designation underscores Zertuche's commitment to growing and enhancing the tourism marketing and management landscape of the organization and beyond. 30 under 30 Award: Director of Communications, America Segura was recently recognized as on of Destinations International's 30 under 30 recipients while attending the Annual Convention is Tampa, FL. Portrait of the American Traveler: MMGY Global’s Portrait of American Travelers® deals exclusively with leisure travel. The travel trend information presented in this report was obtained from interviews with 4,500 U.S. adults in February 2024. [Download the Report]
Monthly Data Snapshot
- At Visit Corpus Christi, a primary focus is to ensure that partners and stakeholders stay well-informed and equipped with the most up-to-date industry trends. By providing comprehensive data reports, Visit Corpus Christi plays an active role in enhancing the success of local businesses that leverage data effectively. We invite you to explore the insights presented in the latest comprehensive data report.
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Organizational & Operations
In July, #CCMEImpactWeek was launched. The initiative was aimed at encouraging Corpus Christi locals to dine, shop, and play locally after Tropical Storm Alberto and Hurricane Beryl affected normal operations during the peak summer season. A social media photo-contest was also launched to entice participants to share their experiences online. Chief Operations Officer Meredith Darden had the opportunity to present the backstory on creating and executing the Professions Across Tourism & Hospitality (PATH) program, first developed by Visit Corpus Christi and later adopted by Visit Overland Park. She not only spoke at the Destinations International Annual Convention, but she was also invited to share her insights for a wider audience through the BrandUSA Podcast. Darden spoke on building relationships within the education community and ways in which destinations can adopt their own PATH program and curriculum. [Listen to the podcast] - President and CEO, Brett Oetting has been appointed Board Chair of Destinations International Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) Program; the tourism industry's highest individual educational achievement. Through industry-wide leadership roles like this one, our organization continues to be upheld as a a top-tier organization globally.
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Convention Sales & Services
- The Convention Sales team had a record-breaking production month turning twelve groups definite with 11,853 group room nights worth over 5 million dollars in economic impact. Six of fourteen groups turned definite will be meeting Corpus Christi will be meeting in Corpus Christi in the next six months, adding direct economic impact to our city during off-peak months.
The Visit Corpus Christi team was excited to kick off "National Celebrate Services Week" in Corpus Christi from July 29-August 2, 2024! A video series campaign was released via LinkedIn honoring the incredible contributions of event service professionals, spotlighting the dedications, creativity, and passion that makes every event in the Gulf Coast Capital unforgettable. Destinations Services welcomed over 800 convention attendees during July. These conventions were worth an estimated 1,247 room nights and $464,204 in economic impact to the destination. If you are interested in receiving the monthly Group Profile Alerts that contain valuable data and insights into the group attendee profiles each month, please reach out to Jaclyn Kiefer at jaclyn@visitcorpuschristi.com
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Marketing & Communications
- Visit Corpus Christi traveled to Denver, Colorado, a key market for Corpus Christi tourism efforts, and hosted 15 media influencers and journalists, giving them a taste of the Corpus Christi culinary experience and showcasing the unique charm of Corpus Christi as a Texas getaway. With delicious Gulf Coast cocktails and bites, the Visit Corpus Christi PR team, along with WaterStreet, LTD., effectively highlighted our South Texas vibe and culinary offerings, thanks to the efforts of Director of Communications America Segura and our MMGY PR partners, Rainey Stoll and Megan Lagrone.
Visit Corpus Christi's leisure summer marketing campaign have been working hard to drive tourism and support our partners and hoteliers. In this last quarter, digital media efforts garnered over 34 million impressions and 4 million clicks, aiming to bring more visitors into our city. The Expedia campaign generated $267,000 in booking revenue in the last three months with a record-breaking return on ad spend (ROAS) of $22:1 due to a strategic increase in conversion efforts, while Sojern's efforts contributed to a $59,000 economic impact for travel bookings and $985,000 for foot traffic to local attractions from April to June. - Join us in welcoming Baylee Arnold to the Visit Corpus Christi team! As a proud Corpus Christi native and recent Communications and Graphic Design graduate, Baylee will continue to elevate our brand's social media presence with her creativity and passion.
Influencer Jessica Serna and writer Pam LeBlanc were welcomed into the destination as a part of our Corpus Christi PR efforts. Thus far, Jessica's content has garnered over 900k impressions across various platforms.
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Sports Commission
- The Inaugural Coastal Bend Sports Hall of Fame & Awards Show took place on June 6th at the American Bank Center Arena. More than 400 people from around the community attended this event where we inducted 4 Hall of Famers and presented 36 additional awards to athletes from the Coastal Bend. 108 total athletes from 27 different high schools and organizations throughout the area were honored as finalists for their exceptional talent and dedication to their sport. We look forward to continuing to host this event annually and are thankful for all the community support!
Bre Martinez and Emily Rees were invited up to Desoto, TX to attend the 2024 Texas Police Games and learn more about how the games are ran and put together. This event hosts 35+ different sports over a 1-week period during the month of June, which brings in 1,200-1,500 participants from around the State of Texas. Corpus Christi is excited to be the sole finalist to host the 2025 Texas Police Games, which is projected to bring in $1M in Economic Impact to the destination. The Corpus Christi Sports Commission traveled to Columbus, Ohio to attend the 2024 Compete Sports Diversity Summer Conference. Compete Sports Diversity is focused on connecting, educating, and empowering LGBTQ+ and allied diversity leaders within the community, sports organizations, non-profit groups, tourism partners, and more. Corpus Christi is currently the only Texas destination to hold membership and are thrilled to be hosting the 2026 Compete Sports Diversity Summer Conference, which will include roughly 30 event rights holders. Sports Development Manager, Bre Martinez, headed up to Omaha, Nebraska in early June to scout out the USA Triathlon Multisport National Championship Festival. She met with USA Triathlon representatives in preparation for our upcoming bid to hopefully host the event here in Corpus during 2028 & 2029. This event would consist of 4-5 days of competition and attract roughly 7,000 visitors (3,000 athletes and 4,000 spectators) over that time period with a projected economic impact over $3M. The Pinnacle Sports Group selected Corpus Christi to host 1 of their 4 qualifying events for their National Tournament in December and it took place July 27-28 at Cabaniss Athletic Complex. This event brought in 400+ participants from across the state of Texas who participate in boys youth tackle football and girls flag football. We are looking forward to hosting their National Football & Cheer Championship in December as well. The Corpus Christi Sports Commission assisted the Corpus Christi Tennis Association with making the United States Tennis Association Level 5 Open tournament, a memorable ones for those visiting our beautiful city. Sports Services Manager, Emily Rees, attended the event to not only collect valuable surveys from our out-of-town patrons, but to serve as a resource on how visitors can spend their time and money in the destination.
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Experience & Visitor Services
Collaborating with Workforce Solutions, the Experience team guided a cohort of Coastal Bend teachers through local businesses and attractions to inform them about career pathways in tourism and hospitality within the Corpus Christi workforce. The teachers enjoyed tours at various sites, including the Corpus Christi Museum of Science & History, Texas State Aquarium, and USS Lexington, to understand the opportunities available for their students. - The Experience Team celebrated with our partner at the City of Corpus Christi at the North Beach ribbon cutting of the new Surfside Park facilities, featuring ADA-compliant restrooms built to withstand storm surges, grassy picnic areas, BBQ pits, beachfront access, and shady spots. They look forward to sharing these improvements with visitors and locals, highlighting North Beach's enhancements to attract more guests to the area.
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Film and Music Commission
The Corpus Christi Film and Music Commission proudly welcomed Chuck Norris and Adam Baldwin to the city during their visit to the Corpus Christi Comic Con. Both icons were greeted with enthusiasm as they joined fans and participants in celebrating pop culture at this exciting event. The commission is honored to have such esteemed guests in Corpus Christi, highlighting the city’s growing reputation as a hub for film, music, and entertainment. - The planning for MusicWalk in Corpus Christi, scheduled for October 4th, is coming together smoothly in anticipation for the second annual event. Coordinators are finalizing details to ensure a seamless integration with the Downtown ArtWalk, which will create a dynamic fusion of live music and visual art throughout the downtown area. Local musicians, ranging from up-and-coming artists to established acts, are being scheduled to perform at various venues, adding a lively soundtrack to the evening. Meanwhile, organizers are working closely with artists and gallery owners to showcase an array of art forms, enhancing the cultural experience for attendees. Promotional efforts will begin to ramp up to ensure a great turnout, with a focus on engaging the community and highlighting Corpus Christi's rich artistic landscape.
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