Annual Report
to Coronado City Council
Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24)
Attachment 2
Dear City Council Members,
Thank you for your trust in our Advisory Board during FY24.
Throughout the year, they drew upon their vast experience to consider programs that deliver a positive impact on the assessed resorts, the small businesses near them and the tax base you use to maintain the quality of life in Coronado.
And their decisions were made in a public forum where the voices of residents were welcomed.
The year has not been without difficulties. Discover Coronado once again served as a reliable recovery mechanism for negative impacts such as inflation, poor water quality, unprecedented weather, and limited room inventory during renovations.
This report summarizes our achievements, both in our industry and in the community. I hope this information will be useful in justifying the continuation of Discover Coronado’s work into FY25.
At your service,
Harold Rapoza
Chairperson,
Discover Coronado
From the Chairperson
Attachment 2
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 3
FY24 Annual Report
FY23 Advisory Board................................................................................1 Why Discover Coronado Makes Sense........................................... 2 What’s New.................................................................................................... 2 Accomplished Goals + Strategic Plan Fulfillment ................... 3 Introduction................................................................................................... 4 Trending Data............................................................................................... 5 San Diego Tourism Authority (SDTA) .............................................. 6 Group Sales Strategy................................................................................ 7 Outbound Reach........................................................................................ 7 Client Contact Map.................................................................................... 8 Inbound Sales Strategy........................................................................... 9 Group Sales Marketing............................................................................ 9 Service Credits - Return on Investment ........................................10 Wonder All Around + Website ............................................................10 Leisure Travel Outlook.............................................................................11 Leisure Programs in Place.....................................................................11 Economic Impact Study.........................................................................12 Assisting Local Businesses...................................................................16 Community Partnerships ......................................................................17 Labor Force - Job Development ........................................................18 Destination Safety .....................................................................................19 Management Plan District 1 ............................................................................... 20 Management Plan District 2 .............................................................................. 21 Foundational Details ............................................................................................... 22 Reserves ......................................................................................................................... 23 FY25 Budget ................................................................................................................ 24 Table of Contents
Attachment 2
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 1
In July 2023, the Advisory Board officially welcomed new members. Christine Stokes replaced Dave Landon as the representative for Coronado Historical Association. Colleen Cavalieri, who represents retailers across the island, was elected by City Council as an At-Large Member.
David Spatafore, also an At-Large Member, kindly agreed to serve a second term so he could continue represent the restaurateurs on Coronado Island.
Advisory Board
Harold Rapoza
Chairperson,
Hotel del Coronado
Jonathan Litvack
Vice-Chair,
Coronado Island Marriott Resort
Claudia Ludlow
Treasurer,
Glorietta Bay Inn
Rena Clancy
Secretary,
Coronado Chamber of Commerce
Kate Berry
Loews Coronado Bay Resort
Eddie Warner
Coronado MainStreet
Christine Stokes
Coronado Historical Association
David Spatafore
At-Large Member,
Blue Bridge Hospitality
Colleen Cavalieri
At-Large Member,
Coronado Tasting Room/VomFass
Todd Little
Executive Director
Danielle Rossetto
Destination Sales Director
Adriana Villagrana
Project Manager
Attachment 2
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 2
Why Discover Coronado Makes Sense
Reports to City
Council; provides
quarterly reports
and financial
statements
Ethics training and
financial disclosures
for Advisory Board
members
Managed by
Board of Directors
and organizational
officers
Self-funded by guest
assessment, no
funding from City of
Coronado or others
Citizens represented
with two At-Large
members assigned
by City Council
Brown Act compliant
with open meetings
for transparency
By-laws guide 501 (c)
6 organization
What's New
• Renovation of Victorian building of Hotel del Coronado • Addition of Project Manager
• Strategic Plan extended to 2028
• Programs that better retain hotel staffing levels
• Photo shoot to promote group meetings
• Water quality negatively impacts visitor volume
• Enriched community with new partnership
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 2
Attachment 2
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 3
Accomplished Goals +
Strategic Plan Fulfillment
Made legacy investment from reserves
Launched efforts that strengthen room rates
Grew staff to enhance marketing outreach
Deployed email strategy to meeting planners
Extended “Wonder All Around” theme to group outreach
Developed stewardship campaign for guests
Widened advocacy for hospitality/hotel industry
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 3
Attachment 2
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 4
Introduction
As with years past, FY24 was
yet another year to recover from
disruption. The latter portion of
2023 was impacted as the Hotel
del Coronado began preparing for
the restoration of their Victorian
building in January. This meant that
far fewer groups hosted meetings
and a steep reduction in room and
meeting space revenue.
After record-high visitation in
2021, occupancy and average
daily rates have normalized.
A number of factors contributed
to the decline: inflationary cost,
uncharacteristically poor weather,
growing concerns with water
quality, and the re-opening of
foreign destinations once closed
by the pandemic.
All this resulted in lower resort
occupancy and average daily rate
which, in turn, dampened the
transient occupancy tax collected
by the City of Coronado.
San Diego County
Hotel Occupancy
San Diego County
Average Daily Rate
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
66.1% 65.7%
55.7%
32.6%
73.3%
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
$451.39
$471.55
$423.25
$326.12 $324.80
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 4
Attachment 2
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 5
Top 3 Leisure Travel Trends
Adoption of AI allows guests to use booking tools,
chatbots, local tips and itinerary suggestions to make
informed decisions.
Following the pandemic, growth in “go-cassion” travel
is expected. Scheduling trips around special occasions, milestones, sporting events, festivals, or concert tours.
Underscoring “custom” in the word customer. Travelers
seek hyper-customized touchpoints tailored to their
needs, preferences, and behaviors.
Top 3 Group Meeting Trends
Use of AI to gather insights into attendee behavior,
software solutions that automate various aspects of
event planning and thus increase planner efficiency.
Event budgets are tightening as travel expenses,
material costs, labor costs, and venue prices have all
inflated heavily since the pandemic.
Meeting attendees are seeking authentic experiences
from a local perspective and looking to discover hidden wonders off the beaten path. They also want to fully
immerse themselves in local cuisine during their travels.
Meeting Industry Outlook
Meeting demand is surging as organizations remember the value of face-to-face events. Some expect the overall meetings industry to be operating at 2019 volumes or above by the end of Q1 2024. Hotels will be more inclined to lock in group business as leisure demand softens, particularly in a time of economic uncertainty, political strife, and potentially prolonged international conflicts.
Meetings booked are shorter in length and smaller in scale. Of the meetings held, 70% drew an average of 200 attendees or fewer. Meeting budgets are expected to rise overall for the coming year. 1 1
2 2
3 3
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 5
Attachment 2
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 6
San Diego Tourism Authority
Discover Coronado first partnered with San Diego Tourism Authority (SDTA) in 2010.
Since then, the partnership has flourished in ambition, scope, and performance.
The most significant deliverable is the generation of leads for group meetings at the Coronado resorts. SDTA’s roster of sales directors are strategically located in key markets across the country. with a potential of 946,302 room
nights in Coronado.
for 5,755 room nights.
Generating those leads come from a strategic
plan that includes client contact at industry
tradeshows, outbound client meetings in key
markets, inbound client inspections of the
assessed resorts, inbound familiarization trips
to Coronado for prospective clients, and digital
signage at the San Diego Convention Center.
In FY24, Discover Coronado partnered with SDTA
on a new initiative, to welcome the Professional
Convention Management Association (PCMA)
for their annual conference. Over 4,000 meeting
planners interfaced with sales leadership from
the four Coronado resorts as well as Discover
Coronado’s Director of Destination Sales. This
event is considered a coup for San Diego because
of the potential revenue that could come from
ensuing conventions, meetings, and events.
Since July, SDTA has provided: Through January 2024, SDTA has generated:
1,020 22 Leads for
Meetings
Confirmed
Programs Visit.
Attachment 2
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 7
Group Sales Strategy
Outbound Outreach
The best strategy to bring more conventions to Coronado is to meet with planners face to face, as was done in 14 cities across north America. This demanding schedule was managed by the Destination Sales Director, Danielle Rossetto. This outbound travel generated 93 unique RFP’s not found on other lead generation platforms. More are anticipated.
Discover Coronado’s primary responsibility
is to promote the destination and to bring
luxury meetings to the resorts. This requires a
variety of strategies including prospecting for
new business in strategic-chosen industries/
destinations, hosting customers so they become
familiar with the island, and escorting clients so
they may inspect Coronado’s meeting venues.
Based on group sales in 2023,
Coronado Island was recognized as one of the
Top Meeting Destinations in America, surpassing
much larger destinations such as St. Louis,
Kansas City, Toronto, and Baltimore. The #34
national ranking came from Cvent, the leading
software platform used by meeting planners
and event decision-makers.
Never resting on laurels, Rossetto attended new
client events such as Canadian Meeting & Events
in Toronto, Inter (Action) with American Express
clients in Seattle and North Star Leadership
Forum in Pebble Beach.
One particular event, Connect Marketplace,
continued to be the most prolific tradeshow,
producing eight RFP’s, one definite program
valued at $350,000 and two site visits scheduled
in the upcoming months. IMEX America in Las
Vegas continues to be the largest tradeshow for
our industry. Over 500 planners visited Discover
Coronado’s booth. This tradeshow brings people
from all over the world and although booking
business is very important, the main objective of
this show is building relationships. In fact, Loews
Coronado just contracted a program worth
$276,000 that came from building a relationship
at IMEX in 2022.
Attachment 2
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 8
Client Contact Map
The Destination Sales Director traveled the country prospecting for group meeting clients.
While the western US is the most prolific for signed contracts, other markets were visited because they represented new business potential for the assessed resorts.
San Francisco
Seattle
Las Vegas
San Diego
Palm Springs
Pebble
Beach
Toronto
New York
Boston
Minneapolis
Scottsdale
Dallas
Washington D.C.
Philadelphia
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 8
Attachment 2
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 9
Inbound Sales Strategy
Bringing potential clients to Coronado is a powerful tactic for closing business. In FY24, at least 11 local inspections of meeting venues on Coronado Island will take place. Two have already resulted on signed contracts.
Discover Coronado recently hosted a familiarization trip for clients from the Pacific Northwest. Each resort showcased their guestrooms, event space and creative food and beverage capabilities. One more familiarization tour is planned for the months ahead, focusing on luxury corporate meeting planners from key markets.
New tools, including Zoom Info, Cvent Planner Navigator, and HopSkip were used to prospect for clients. This fiscal year, Discover Coronado also became a valued partner of HelmsBriscoe (HB), a highly valued third-party meeting firm. This venture will provide exclusive access to HB meetings and decision-makers.
Group Sales Marketing
While building and strengthening relationships is paramount in securing group meetings, marketing is a strong second. Coming out of the pandemic, meeting planners are overworked. They are seeking inspiration for new meeting locations. Group marketing not only reminds planners that Coronado Island is a compelling option, but it also has great recall with meeting attendees who’ve vacationed in Coronado. They remember the new things they discovered in Coronado and it’s walkability. That’s why “Wonder All Around” is the ideal theme for Discover Coronado’s investment in marketing platforms that reach meeting planners.
Efforts to raise awareness with meeting planners, drive meeting space research and generate RFPs for future meetings demands a wide variety of marketing tools (and repetition of message.) Blue Onion Media, experts in media placement, executed strategies that included digital banner marketing, targeted email blasts, video ad placement, keyword search tools, print advertising and prospecting programs with LinkedIn.
Between July 1, 2023, and January 31, 2024, Discover Coronado’s campaign delivered 22.7M impressions, generating 89,986 website visits. So far, the greatest number of keyword searches are coming from meeting planners in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and Philadelphia. Five months remain in the campaign efforts. Significant more impressions and response are expected.
Attachment 2
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 10
Service Credits - Return on Investment
Discover Coronado created a budget line that provides financial incentives for clients to book Coronado resorts. These available funds are used by the resorts to close business.
Wonder All Around
+ Website
Because it was approaching its second year of service,
DiscoverCoronado.com was refreshed to widen
the usage of “Wonder All Around” as a theme for
activities, new team experiences and navigation into
business districts, near the assessed resorts. Not only did the website feature new photography, video, and navigation tools, but it was also refined to be more intuitive, inspirational, and safe from cyber-attacks.
So far, a total of $10,500 has been invested to secure meetings with five clients. $1,380,000
Revenue
131x
Return on Investment
$10,500
Investment
Between July 1, 2023, and February 15, 2024,
the website has seen 159,000 visits from
both potential meeting clients and travelers
considering Coronado as their destination.
Because “Wonder All Around” has relevance
in so many arenas, it has been used in new
tradeshow collateral, public relations, leisure
campaigns, and even efforts to promote jobs
in Coronado.
15 9,000 visits
Attachment 2
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 11
Leisure Travel Outlook
One should expect to see leisure demand slacken — not
necessarily in a bad way, but more of a normalization,
returning back to pre-pandemic vacation trends.
Leisure Programs in Place
Because leisure guests typically pay higher room rates, efforts were made to attract more of them, especially during shoulder seasons. Leisure campaigns were launched in top feeder markets in Arizona, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County and Mexico City.
Despite this optimistic outlook, inflation could lead to more conservative travel behaviors, particularly among lowerincome groups. Travel frequency and certain indulgences may see a decline. Spending slowed amid higher borrowing costs, tighter credit conditions and the restart of student loan repayments.
Consumers are exhibiting a sustained interest in
travel, and for many, that interest may be shifting
from reactionary impulse to a redefined priority.
“Wonder All Around” was the campaign theme used for an
extensive campaign that used Facebook and Instagram
for maximum impact. The first phase of the campaign was moved up to Q2 to improve visitation totals at the resorts for calendar year 2023. The campaign produced 5.3 million impressions with 35,000 clicks and 25,000 website visits.
A second flight occurs between February and May 2024.
Discover Coronado also invested $100,000 in promoting
Coronado as a leisure destination using SDTA’s national marketing platforms. This effort relies on a variety of platforms to reach travels in their decision-making cycle, including targeted digital marketing, dedicated emails to those seeking travel inspiration, social media strategies and above-the-fold placement on SanDiego.org. The campaign
will produce 4.8M impressions to luxury travelers outside of San Diego County.
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 11
Attachment 2
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 12
Economic Impact Study
Key Findings
After Coronado’s resorts experienced a strong recovery in 2022, 2023 was a year that marked ongoing growth, albeit at a slower pace than the year prior. Overall group visitor spending surpassed 2018 levels while total group visitors remained slightly below 2018 levels.
In 2023, groups spent $117.5 million in direct visitor spending, generating a total economic impact of $170.3 million in the city of Coronado. This total economic impact sustained 989 jobs and generated $8.4 million in local tax revenues in 2023.
Calendar Year 2023
In Context
$117.5M
Group Sales
The $117.5 million in group
sales means that nearly
$322,000 was spent EVERY
DAY by in group visitors in
the city of Coronado.
989
Total Jobs
The number of jobs
sustained by tourism (989)
supports 11.4% of all jobs in
the city of Coronado.
$8.4M
Local Taxes
Each household in the city
of Coronado would need
to be taxed an additional
$1,300 to replace the visitor
taxes received by the local
government in 2023.
Group Volume Trends & Hotel Performance
Travel demand on Coronado Island experienced modest growth in 2023 with 419.5 thousand hotel room nights sold, of which 171.8 thousand were from the group travel segment. Despite the continued growth, both leisure and group travel remain below Coronado’s 2018 high water mark of 452.7 thousand total room nights.
Guest visits, both business and otherwise, moved ahead
despite several challenges including ongoing renovations at hotel properties, inflation, airline difficulties and poor weather events.
Hotel Room Demand
Coronado room nights sold improved
5.6% in 2023, posting an increase of
approximately 22,000 room nights sold.
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 12
Attachment 2
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 13
Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT)
TOT revenue expanded 105.5% for fiscal year
2022 and reached $19.7 million, surpassing
fiscal year 2019 for the first time.
The City of Coronado projects TOT revenue
for the 2023 fiscal year to decrease to
$18.5 million due to planned renovations
at some of the hotel properties.
The share of group nights sold declined to
41% in 2023, after reaching 42% in 2022.
The share of group room nights sold in 2023
was hindered by extensive renovations at
the Hotel del Coronado.
FY18 FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23
105.5% -6.3%
$19.7 $18.5
-12.7%
$9.6
-29.8%
$11.0
2.5%
$15.7 $15.3
TOT Tax Revenue
Amounts in $ millions, fiscal year beginning July 1
* Projection from the City of Coronado
Source: City of Coronado
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
54%
60%
79% 78%
58% 59%
40%
21% 22%
42% 41% 46%
Room Demand Segmentation
Share of total room nights, %
Source: STR, Tourism Economics
Leisure Group
Groups and guests
discover Coronado
They stay overnight
in a hotel
Guests pay 10%
transient occupancy
tax (TOT)
Hotels send TOT
funds to City of
Coronado
City uses TOT
for public safety,
facilities and
services
How TOT Works
Attachment 2
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 14
Occupancy Segmentation
The overall occupancy rate was 66.1% in 2023,
which was roughly on par with 2022 levels but
remained well below 2018 levels.
Group occupancy share declined by 0.5
percentage points in 2023. This can be
attributed to supply restraints for hotel rental
space in certain hospitality properties.
Leisure occupancy increased its share of
occupancy by 0.4 percentage points bringing
its total occupancy to 39%.
Group Revenue
Group room revenue tallied $68.1 million in 2023
– a $1.7 million increase from the year prior.
Even as group room demand remained slightly
behind its prior levels, elevated ADR pushed
group room revenue to a new all-time high –
exceeding its 2018 level by 15.3%.
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Occupancy Rates by Segment
Share of total room nights, %
Leisure Group
41.6 36.1 30.8
27.5 27.0
12.0 8.1 45.6
38.6 39.0
30.0 43.7
Source: STR, Tourism Economics
Source: STR, Tourism Economics
Source: STR, Tourism Economics
Group room nights rose 3.8% in 2023,
despite the re-location of groups in Q4 to
prepare for renovation at the Hotel Del.
Group room demand in 2023 remained
18% below its record high mark in 2018.
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
165.5 171.8
68.9 41.4
172.4
210.4
Coronado Group Room Nights Sold
Amounts in thousands
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
$66.4 $68.1
$24.8
$11.3
$47.8
$59.1
Coronado Hotel Group Revenue
Amounts in $ millions
Attachment 2
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 15
Coronado hosted more than 77,000 group
meeting visitors in 2023, an increase of 3.5%
over the prior year, yet still 19% below 2018.
These visitors and their associated event
spending provided $1,525 per visitor, and on
average, $401 per visitor per day.
Summary of Group Market Profile
CALENDAR YEAR 2023
171,755
Group Room Nights
77,072
Group Meeting Visitors
$1,525
Spending Per Group Visitor
$401
Spending Per Visitor Day
Group Economic Impact
Groups spent $117.5 million in
direct visitor spending in 2023.
The 171,755 group room nights in 2023
generated $68.1 million in lodging
spending and $117.5 million in total visitor
spending. This includes visitor spending on
transportation, restaurants, retail, recreation,
and other services.
Including the supply chain (indirect impacts)
and the local spending of earned income
(induced impacts), groups generated $170.3
million in economic activity in the city of
Coronado in 2023.
This includes $60.7 million in household
income (wages and benefits) and 989 jobs
across the Coronado economy. Groups also
generated $8.4 million in local taxes and
assessments.
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 15
Attachment 2
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 16
Assisting Local Businesses
Guests at the assessed resorts are encouraged to venture off-property to discover Coronado’s arts, culture, activities, restaurants, and retailers. Using a research platform called Symphony, the demographics, wealth, and preferences of those visitors are documented:
Key Findings
Using mobile phone data,
we know the origin of
visitors to Coronado:
52% arrived from
another US city
46% came from
San Diego County
2% International guests
The Top 5 Feeder Markets
For visitors to Coronado:
• Los Angeles 14.6%
• Phoenix 10.1%
• San Diego 9.8%
• Seattle 4.4%
• San Francisco 4.0%
Based on spending:
(per transaction)
• Dallas $116
• Chicago $105
• Denver $102
• Phoenix $98
• San Francisco $97
In Calendar Year 2023:
$58.8Mspent by
visitors in Coronado
18% year-over-year
768K transactions during
the year
28% year-over-year
$77spend per transaction
8% year-over-year
~38% of all transactions
were made by adults
between 50-64, who
spent the most
$250K annual earners
spent the most in Coronado,
about 31% of transactions
CY23 Spending
Five local businesses
had the greatest share
of spending:
1. Hotel del Coronado
2. Vons
3. The Henry
4. Bluewater Grill
5. Il Fornaio
35%of spending
transactions occurred at
the assessed resorts that
comprise Discover Coronado
44% 35%
13%
Food &
Beverage Lodging
Retail 6%
Other
2%
Transportation
Attachment 2
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 17
Community Partnerships
Being a “destination marketing organization”
requires thinking beyond resort property lines
and sometimes favoring programs that enrich
the entire destination. While attracting groups
and guests to Coronado is the best way for
Discover Coronado to help the local economy,
actively supporting other community projects
is rewarding for all.
New during FY24 was Coronado’s response
to a wheelchair bike stolen from Camp Able.
Residents and businesses happily contributed
for a replacement, but when funding fell short,
Discover Coronado was able to close the gap so
the wheelchair could be fully replaced without
cost to the non-profit organization, that provides
services to children with special needs.
Four major projects within the community were
embraced and funded by the Advisory Board.
The newest was a community partnership with
Coronado Schools Foundation. It will result in
substantial improvements in STEM programs
for students across the island. Becoming the title
sponsor of the Coronado Art and Wine Festival will
also allow Discover Coronado to create exceptional
hotel room packages for festival attendees.
In December 2023, Coronado holiday tree was
once again adorned with festival lighting in an
attempt to attract customers to local shops,
restaurants, services, and the resorts, of course.
This partnership with the City of Coronado
continues to be a darling of residents and
visitors alike.
The artful banners that line Orange Avenue are
meant to unite the mile-long stretch and add
color and education along the way. Most times
the banners celebrate Coronado-based artists
and local organizations, other times they
observe holidays and selected seasons.
The banners are effectively managed by
the Cultural Arts Commission but are fully
funded by Discover Coronado.
Lastly, Free Summer Shuttle service in the
summer of 2023 was supported by Discover
Coronado, which funds the vinyl wrapping
of the buses. Although an employee strike at
MTS dampened expectations and usage, the
shuttle serves multiple users including groups,
guests, residents, the local workforce, and small
businesses on Coronado Island.
Discover Coronado
has developed a
unique sustainability
plan that serves visitors,
local businesses, and
Coronado residents.
The strategy, titled
“Protect the Crown”
navigates visitors to local wonders. From there,
they learn why that particular asset in Coronado
needs to be protected so future generations can
enjoy it. Local businesses help to “Protect the
Crown” by learning best practices that promote
recycling, offering sustainable products and
energy conservation. Residents are included in
the campaign by providing them with simple,
at-home practices such as waste reduction,
sustainable landscaping, and efficiency with
heating/air conditioning.
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 17
Attachment 2
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 18
Labor Force - Job Development
Each spring, Discover Coronado turns it attention to connecting residents with local jobs. While outreach to Coronado High School students is a major component, efforts were made to make the outreach more inclusive by welcoming others of working age, including seniors, living on Coronado Island. To do so, Discover Coronado will host a job fair in the Winn Room, because it is centrally located and large enough to include recruiters from other employers in Coronado. This includes the Parks & Recreation Department, which offers dozens of seasonal jobs that are ideal for workers of all ages.
In 2024, Discover Coronado will beta-test an employee shuttle system that will benefit employees of the local resorts. So it is meaningful to those who work at the resorts, Discover Coronado fielded a survey of resort employees to identify traffic patterns, ideal pick-up locations and frequency of usage.
This service will provide reliability and convenience to the employees. It could help the resorts retain employees tempted by other job offers from new hotels debuting in San Diego in 2025.
Without ample staffing, the resorts cannot deliver the quality-of-service groups and guests expect.
To maintain customer service expectations, a new strategy was deployed to attract more applicants to open jobs at the assessed resorts. A marketing campaign was created and activated for San Diego County to showcase Coronado Island as an ideal place to work. It’s message was jobs are plentiful, deeply rewarding, year-round and high paying. Coronado was recognized as a safe place to walk to work, safe place to park and offered easy access via mass transit systems.
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 18
Attachment 2
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 19
Destination Safety
The core mission of Discover Coronado is to promote the attributes of our destination. With it, comes an obligation to make it a safe destination. Behind the scenes, Discover Coronado works closely with Coronado Police, Fire and Lifeguard Departments so all stakeholders better communicate with one another during emergencies. When needed, Discover Coronado provides important tools that keep our groups, guests, teams, and residents safer. Most recently, security leaders from the four Coronado resorts joined the Rotary Club of Coronado, Sharp Coronado Hospital and Coronado’s Fire Department to sharpen CPR skills and to learn techniques that address heavy blood loss in victims, a leading cause of death that can be mostly prevented.
The Executive Director meets regularly with the leadership of Coronado Police, Coronado Fire and Coronado Lifeguards to ascertain needs in the city and to advocate for services, when needed.
He also assisted the City of Coronado in their formal search for Police Chief following the retirement of Chuck Kaye.
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 19
Attachment 2
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 20
Management Plan District 1 Goals and Considerations
Improve awareness of destination
Engage travel trade professionals
Sustainability; water quality initiatives
Sponsorship of community events
The prioritized goals in District One include elevating the recall and appreciation of the destination through earned media with luxury publications and platforms. Along the same lines, enlisting travel professionals who recommend luxury destinations to their affluent clients would be an achievable goal. Travel advisors/agents could be a new approach that would benefits local businesses as well as the resorts. The Board wishes to advocate for improvements with water quality and sustainable strategies. Guests hoping to immerse themselves in Coronado’s culture might schedule their visit around a particular community event. Sponsoring selected events that occur in Coronado would assure their future and perhaps allow for building room packages at the assessed resorts. 1 3
2 4
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 20
Attachment 2
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 21
Management Plan District 2 Goals and Considerations
Advocate for organization and industry
Improve hotel employee retention/recruitment
Explore efforts that lengthen stays
Evaluate beautification efforts
The second district primarily focuses on efforts to attract group meetings. In FY25, public relations efforts will be made to better articulate what Discover Coronado stands for and the results of its work plan. Another goal would be to fund and implement programs that keep employees in place as the hospitality workforce in San Diego’s is disrupted by new hotel inventory. Fundamentally, the organization must explore new ways to lengthen the number of days a group or guest stays at an assessed resort. Lastly, the Board will discuss programs that improve the arrival experience for visiting groups and guests. 1 3
2 4
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 21
Attachment 2
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 22
Foundational Details
The guidelines set in the ordinances that
established Discover Coronado (then Coronado
Tourism Improvement District) are strictly
adhered to. There were no changes in the
defined boundaries.
The assessment itself was unchanged, continuing
to levy resorts with more than 90 rooms in
Coronado, California. The ½ percent assessment
for each of the two districts of Discover Coronado
are based on gross hotel room revenue.
Discover Coronado does not
receive revenue from the federal
resources, the State of California,
the City of Coronado, local businesses,
or residents. The only gains made are
with reserves that generate interest
or dividends.
Assistant City Manager Tony Winney serves as a
liaison between City Hall and Discover Coronado.
He regularly briefs the Advisory Board. A special
services agreement with the City of Coronado
requires quarterly activity reports and financial
statements from Discover Coronado. Similar
reports are included in the meeting packets
made available to the public.
Financial statements for Discover Coronado are
prepared by an independent, off-site bookkeeper.
Reserve investments are managed and reported
by a licensed financial planner who was vetted
by the Advisory Board. Considine and Considine
prepare and file federal and state tax documents
for the organization.
The Executive Director (ED) interfaces with
Winney as well as the City Manager and
individual City Council Members. The ED
recently served on a subcommittee to weigh
beautification opportunities in the city. Further,
he works closely with other organizations
associated with Discover Coronado, including
Brand USA, Visit California, CalTravel, Port of San
Diego, San Diego Tourism Authority and San
Diego’s Hotel and Lodging Association.
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 22
Attachment 2
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 23
Reserves
Something good came from the pandemic;
a commitment to safeguard the work of
Discover Coronado against future calamities.
So the organization can fully function and fulfill
its management plans, the board created a
reserve program. The funds are invested with
a professional advisor who provides monthly
reports and quarterly briefings to the Board.
Current balance is $1.3M.
The reserves serve a second purpose. The sum
and all dividends can be applied towards the
work plan as well as meaningful investments
in community projects. For example, $103,000
will be invested in a partnership with Coronado
Schools Foundation’s Art and Wine Festival.
Not only will the funds offset expenses to bring
guests to the fundraising event, but they will also
widen STEM learning in Coronado schools.
The Reserve Investment Committee regularly
considers other investments from the reserves
and Advisory Board approves all deductions.
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 23
Attachment 2
Discover Coronado | Annual Report FY24 | 24
ASSESSMENT - OTHER REVENUE
Projected Assessment $1,900,000
Reserve Earnings $50,000
$1,950,000
GROUP SALES & GUEST ACQUISITION
San Diego Tourism Authority Partnership $450,000
Fams Trips - Inbound Expenses $75,000
Sales Trips - Outbound Expenses $75,000
Trade Shows $75,000
Service Credits and Site Expenses $60,000
Group Sales Marketing $300,000
Destination Sales Director $125,000
Cvent Lead Generation System $28,000
Leisure Marketing $120,000
Economic Impact Study and Symphony Reports $73,000
Strategic Plan (‘25-’28) $32,000
Website Development $20,000
Photography, Video, Content $20,000
$1,453,000
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
Local Initiatives $80,000
Community Sponsorships $20,000
Water Quality - Sustainability $30,000
$130,000
OPERATIONS
Accounting - Bookkeeping - Tax $6,000
Legal - Consulting - License - Fees $5,000
Creative Design - Assets $12,500
Administrative Fee - City of Coronado $10,000
Equipment - Software - Digital - Web $5,000
Supplies - Postage - Phone $2,500
Rent $21,000
Misc. Expense $8,000
Executive Director $125,000
Project Manager Compensation $85,000
Payroll Tax $27,000
Insurance - Liability - Workers Comp $9,000
Benefits $46,000
$362,000
$1,945,000
$5,000
REVENUE TOTAL
ACQUISITION TOTAL
COMMUNITY TOTAL
OPERATIONS TOTAL
TOTAL EXPENSES
NET PROFIT
Budget FY25
Attachment 2