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MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

On behalf of the Visit South Padre Island team, I am proud to present our 2023–2024 Annual Report, showcasing our continued efforts to position South Padre Island as Texas’ Best Beach and a premier destination for leisure and group business travelers.

Tourism is the heartbeat of our island, sustaining livelihoods, supporting local businesses, and enhancing our community’s quality of life. Every initiative we undertake—from strategic marketing campaigns to first-class events—is designed to create unforgettable experiences while driving sustainable economic growth.

This year, our collective efforts yielded exceptional results. South Padre Island continued to gain recognition as a premier travel destination, which is highlighted by our achievements in expanding visitor engagement and strengthening our brand presence. Our marketing initiatives reached new heights, generating 131 million media impressions, 99.8 million social media impressions, and an impressive 2.5 million web sessions. Additionally, we successfully hosted 31 special events, attracting 40,785 attendees and generating an estimated $6 million in economic impact.

Our commitment to tourism development extended beyond marketing as we continued to enhance accessibility, expand group sales efforts, and foster meaningful community engagement. With an estimated $22.1 million economic impact from group meetings and events, a 75.95% total occupancy rate, and $11.3 million in Hotel Occupancy Tax collections, South Padre Island remains a strong economic driver for the region.

We remain committed to community engagement, hosting our first-ever Tourism Town Hall, which gathered valuable feedback from residents and stakeholders. Our investments in accessibility initiatives and conservation programs, such as the Sea Turtle Art Trail, continue to enhance our island’s appeal to all visitors.

Looking ahead, we are excited about the future and the opportunities for South Padre Island. With innovation, collaboration, and a shared vision, we will continue to elevate our destination and ensure that every visitor leaves with cherished memories of this beautiful island we call home.

Thank you for your unwavering support and partnership—our success would not be possible without you.

Blake Henry Executive Director Visit South Padre Island

MEET OUR ADVISORY BOARD

Sean Till Chairman

Rene Valdez Vice-Chairman

Arnie Creinin

Bob Friedman

Bryan Pinkerton

Tom Goodman

Daniel Salazar

MISSION

Provide a year-round island escape for families everywhere.

VISION

South Padre Island is a unique coastal destination, unlike any other, providing an active lifestyle, promoting our natural assets, and a friendly community for citizens and visitors alike.

WHO WE ARE

As the official destination marketing organization, Visit South Padre Island plays a critical role in driving economic impact. We promote the island as a premier vacation destination for leisure travelers, meetings, events, and sports tourism. Visit South Padre Island works to showcase the island’s unique attractions, including its pristine beaches, outdoor activities, fishing opportunities, and vibrant cultural events. By attracting visitors through strategic marketing, event promotion, and partnerships, the organization ensures that tourism remains a vibrant and sustainable engine for growth. This ongoing effort

not only enhances the quality of life for locals but also solidifies South Padre Island’s position as Texas’ Best Beach and a top-tier destination for leisure and business travelers from across the globe.

Tourism is a cornerstone of South Padre Island’s local economy, providing significant benefits to residents, businesses, and the community at large. Millions of visitors travel to the island each year, contributing to job creation, supporting small businesses, and generating tax revenue that funds essential services and infrastructure.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY

SHORT TERM

BUILD AN ACTIVE-OUTDOORS COASTAL ISLAND BRAND

1. Maintain and support the highest skilled and most dynamic sales and marketing team.

VSPI will meet the highest standards of accreditation and performance (research-driven ROI) with measurable results as a research-based DMO.

2. Develop and Promote a new active-lifestyle brand based on market research.

SPI requires a brand that sets it apart as unique from other beach destinations while capturing the active outdoor vacation/getaway experience. The new brand will serve as a foundation for all marketing, sales, public relations, and future destination development.

3. Maintain/expand a comprehensive research/tracking program to guide all decisions.

Track KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) for all programs with ROI reported at all VSPI CVA Board meetings. Quarterly reports to City Council.

4. All plans, marketing, activities, and events must be on-brand.

Deliver on the active beach lifestyle experience. Use research to guide all efforts and focus on those attributes that set SPI apart as a unique experience, unlike other beach destinations. SPI must be unique and offer experiences worth the travel time/expense to compete with other coastal destinations.

LONG TERM

ENHANCE THE ACTIVE OUTDOORS LIFESTYLE

1. Landscape and beautify Padre Boulevard as “the Main Street” to create an island atmosphere with attractive pedestrian and bicycle walkways and crosswalks. Padre Boulevard is the primary traffic artery on the island and, as such, is often the first and last impression of South Padre Island. Padre Boulevard must visually deliver an attractive image of a unique and scenic coastal island. Connect Padre Boulevard to Gulf and Laguna Boulevards with attractive pedestrian/bike trails/lanes. Pedestrian and bike paths assist visitors in getting out of their cars and engaging in the active outdoor lifestyle of the island.

2. Create a town center(s), a village-style town square with gathering places where citizens and visitors come together to celebrate the active outdoor lifestyle of South Padre Island. Create a unique island atmosphere that delivers on the brand where the gathering places are outdoor town “living rooms” for families and friends. Convert green spaces to support activities like bocci ball, vollyball, croquet, putting greens, horeshoes, shuffleboard, badminton, and small-scale entertainment.

3. All plans, marketing, activities, and events must be on-brand and deliver on the active beach lifestyle experience.

4. Encourage and support unique coastal dining, shopping, and entertainment that set SPI apart from other beach destinations. The island has ample outdoor activities to deliver on an active outdoor brand.

OUR VISITORS

PERSONAS

Event Driven Millennial Outdoor Baby Boomer Weekend Escape Enthusiasts The Winter Texan Winter Getaway Traveler Winter Comfort Traveler Family Spring Getaway The College Spring Breaker Coastal Spring Vacationer Summer Getaway Family Weekend Getaway Family Texas Retreat Seeker

VISITOR PROFILE

AVERAGE VISITOR SPEND PER HOUSEHOL D

$21- 40K

$41- 60K

$61-80K

$81-100K

$101-150K

$150K+

TOP 10 MEXICO VISITOR CITIE S

San Pedro Garza Garcia Reynosa Nuevo Laredo

Monterrey Rio Bravo Guadalupe Apodaca Saltillo

ANNUAL VISIT SOUTH PADRE ISLAND MARKETING BUDGET

Visit South Padre Island works year-round to promote this dynamic destination as a first-class location for travelers seeking a tropical escape to Texas’ best beach. Advertising efforts in offline, online and social media strategically focus on markets and targeted demographics with the highest propensity to visit. In turn, messages and strategies are adjusted seasonally to best influence those considering a Spring Break trip, a break from the Midwest’s winter chill or other types of vacations. Tactics are closely monitored to allow real-time adjustments in order to ensure that marketing dollars are spent effectively and efficiently at all times. This results in the best possible return in terms of impressions and conversions, ultimately turning those considering a visit to South Padre Island into actual feet in the sand on our beautiful island.

FY24 WEB Performance highlights (79.69% Increase YOY)

2.5 Million

Increase YOY)

2.3 Million (71.96% Increase YOY)

FY24 SOCIAL METRICS Performance highlights

PUBLIC RELATIONS METRICS

STARSHIP FLIGHT TEST #2

Week of November 18, 2022

OVER 17,000 VISITORS

Top Visitor States: Key highlights: Texas, Oklahoma, Cra Beer and Wing Missouri, Colorado Festival on same day

STARSHIP FLIGHT TEST #4

Week of June 6, 2024

OVER 22,000 VISITORS

Top Visitor States: Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Colorado Key highlights: Followed TCEI Fishing Tournament on 6/3 and 6/4

STARSHIP FLIGHT TEST #6

Week of November 19, 2024

OVER 24,000 VISITORS

Top Visitor States: Key highlights: Texas, Oklahoma, President elect Donald Missouri, Colorado Trump in a endance

STARSHIP FLIGHT TEST #3

Week of March 14, 2024

OVER 27,000 VISITORS

Top Visitor States: Key highlights: Texas, Oklahoma, During Spring Break Missouri, Colorado

STARSHIP FLIGHT TEST #5

Week of October 13, 2024

OVER 20,000 VISITORS

Top Visitor States: Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Colorado Key highlights: Coincided with Padre Island Pride Week

SPACEX MEDIA

Media Impressions per launch

G R OUP S A LE S

The Visit South Padre Island Sales Team played a pivotal role in driving visitation, securing group business, and strengthening the Island’s position as a premier destination for meetings, conventions, and events. Their strategic eﬀorts not only met but exceeded key performance goals, delivering remarkable year-over-year growth and substantial economic beneﬁts to the local economy

S A L E S B Y T H E NU M BE R S

Contrac tual Room Night Produc tion

35,211 Room Nights (Goal 34k) (Exceeded by 3.56 %)

Ac tualized Room Nights (Pick-Ups)

38,435 Room Nights (Increased 15.8 % YOY)

Convention Center & Rental Fees

$413,121 (Goal $335k) (Exceeded by 23 %)

Total Sales Events Held - 206 (40.1 % Increase YOY ) 55,662 Estimated Economic Impac t: $22,130,241.4 N O T A B L E C ON F E R ENC ES

Texas Cit y Management Association Annual Conference

528 1,262 Room nights June 17-2 3, 2024

Texas Association Against Sexual Assault Annual Conference

500 1,024 Room nights August 16-2 2, 2024

VISITOR CENTER

The South Padre Island Visitor Center serves as the island’s go-to resource for travelers, offering expert guidance, brochures, maps, and recommendations to enhance visitor experiences. By providing personalized assistance, the center helps guests discover local attractions, dining, events, and outdoor adventures, ensuring they make the most of their stay. Its role in promoting local businesses and encouraging longer visits directly supports the island’s economy, reinforcing South Padre Island’s reputation as a premier Texas beach destination.

18,043 total visitors to our Visitor Center

1,905 amount of visitor guides sent out

Sent to all 50 states

SEA TURTLE ART TRAIL

The Sea Turtle Art Trail is a unique public art initiative celebrating the island’s commitment to marine conservation and local artistry. Featuring beautifully hand-painted sea turtle sculptures, the trail highlights the island’s connection to these beloved creatures while promoting awareness of their protection. Visitors can explore the trail, discover stunning artwork at various locations, and engage with the island’s vibrant cultural and environmental efforts. This initiative not only enhances the visitor experience but also reinforces South Padre Island’s dedication to conservation and community pride.

1,900 Visitors

Top Visitor Cities: Dallas, Austin, San Antonio

COMMUNITY SHARED VALUE

At Visit South Padre Island, we recognize that our success as a destination is deeply rooted in the strength and support of our community. We value our residents and strive to ensure that our work reflects their needs, aspirations, and the unique culture of our island.

This year, we reinforced our commitment to community involvement by hosting a Tourism Town Hall, providing

a platform for residents to share their ideas and feedback. Additionally, we conducted a Resident Sentiment Survey to better understand how tourism impacts the lives of those who call South Padre Island home. These efforts have deepened our understanding of community priorities and strengthened our ability to align our initiatives with the shared vision of our residents.

1 ST ANNUAL TOURISM TOWN HALL

In February 2024, Visit South Padre Island hosted the 1st Annual Tourism Town Hall at Daddy’s Seafood Kitchen, bringing together over 100 attendees for an engaging discussion on the value of tourism to our community. The event featured updates on our sales, marketing, and events efforts, as well as an overview of the exciting expansion plans for the South Padre Island Convention Center. Designed for our residents, this town hall emphasized the importance of keeping our community informed and involved in shaping the future of South Padre Island as a premier destination.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Over 100 attendees, including local residents and stakeholders.

• Presentation on the economic value of tourism to South Padre Island.

• Updates on sales, marketing strategies, and upcoming events.

• Insights into the South Padre Island Convention Center expansion.

• Open dialogue to connect with residents and gather community feedback.

This initiative underscores our commitment to transparency and collaboration, ensuring our residents remain at the heart of our tourism efforts.

RESIDENTS VIEW OF TOURSIM

80% Believe tourism is good for SPI

75% Agree that the local area benefits from a strong tourism industry

60% Believe the positive benefits of tourism outweigh the negative impacts

ANNUAL VISIT SOUTH PADRE ISLAND BUDGET

Visit South Padre Island remains committed to promoting our destination as Texas’ Best Beach, driving economic impact through strategic marketing, tourism development, and event partnerships. The budget is designed to maximize return on investment, support sustainable growth, and enhance visitor experiences while ensuring fiscal responsibility.