Staff Reports | Business & Commerce
Strategic tourism promotion is driving visitation to Scottsdale while contributing to the city’s reputation and generating economic benefits for residents.
The city of Scottsdale and Experience Scottsdale commissioned Longwoods International to evaluate the effectiveness of Experience Scottsdale’s marketing efforts, according to a press release. The study found that for every dollar invested in advertising, Experience Scottsdale generated $214 in visitor spending and $7 in city tax revenue.
Longwoods International reported that Experience Scottsdale’s return on investment is higher than industry benchmarks for destinations of similar size.
“Experience Scottsdale’s targeted marketing strategy paid off handsomely by effectively leveraging limited marketing resources into significant incremental visitor spending that would not have occurred without their campaign,” said Amir Eylon, president and CEO of Longwoods International. “For every public dollar invested in this program, seven new tax dollars were generated for the residents of Scottsdale’s benefit. Bottom line: the campaign was not only effective and efficient, but also a major net gain for the local economy and the residents of Scottsdale.”
The study evaluated Experience Scottsdale’s 2025 advertising campaigns in New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. Research focused on travelers age 35 and older with household incomes above $150,000, aligning with Scottsdale’s strategy to attract visitors with higher spending potential.
Results showed engagement among that audience. Nearly three-quarters of those surveyed recalled seeing at least one Experience Scottsdale advertisement, and the campaigns generated visitation at a cost of $1.46 per trip.
The research also found that tourism marketing can influence perceptions. Experience Scottsdale’s advertising improved views of Scottsdale across several measures, including a 25-point increase in agreement with the statement, “Scottsdale is a good place to visit.”
“Tourism promotion plays an important role in telling Scottsdale’s story and showcasing what makes our community special,” said Greg Caton, city manager. “When people choose to visit Scottsdale, they support local businesses, generate tax revenue that helps fund city services, and often become long-term ambassadors for our community.”
Experience Scottsdale President and CEO Rachel Sacco said the findings reflect the impact of destination marketing on the community.
“With marketing, you have mere seconds to make an emotional connection with a potential visitor,” Ms. Sacco said. “Yet as this research shows, those seconds have a profound, long-lasting impact on our community. As a nonprofit organization largely funded by visitor-paid tax dollars, we are proud that our campaigns are truly moving the needle for the benefit of Scottsdale businesses and residents.”
Longwoods International’s research also found that consumers who recalled Experience Scottsdale’s advertising were more likely to view Scottsdale favorably not only as a vacation destination, but also as a place to live, work, start a business, attend college, purchase a vacation home and retire.
“Scottsdale’s strong reputation and quality of place are among our greatest economic development assets,” said Kevin Burke, Scottsdale’s senior director of economic development and tourism. “Experience Scottsdale helps amplify those strengths by introducing new audiences to our community. That increased awareness supports opportunities to attract investment, talent, businesses and future residents.”
While the study focused on campaigns in three markets, Experience Scottsdale promotes the city through domestic and international marketing, public relations, convention sales and tourism trade programs.
