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December 20, 2013
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
Page 13
Tourism Plan RFP Approved
5-Year Marketing Blueprint Sought
By JOANNE SHRINER
STAFF WRITER
OCEAN CITY – The town is officially calling for bids to bring in a strategic plan facilitator to help city officials and stakeholders lay out a five-year plan for Ocean City’s tourism. Tourism and Marketing Director Donna Abbott presented a draft Request for Proposal (RFP) this week to the Mayor and Council to solicit bids for a Tourism Strategic Plan for the Town of Ocean City. Abbott submitted at the Oct. 21 regular session the Mayor and Council voted to accept the Tourism Commission’s recommendation to proceed with composing an RFP for the establishment of a strategic plan for tourism. A draft RFP has been prepared to solicit proposals for a five-year strategic plan, evaluating the town’s tourism assets and conducting a market analysis to incorporate into a plan that will serve as the blueprint for Ocean City’s tourism marketing for fiscal year 2015-2020. “I received some input from the state’s tourism director as well,” Abbott said. “They went through a similar process a few years ago and
found it very helpful.” The desired outcomes of the strategic plan are listed as identify key geographic and demographic targets with the highest Return on Investment (ROI) potential, identify niche market targets with the highest ROI potential, vision, goals and objectives for the Ocean City Department of Tourism for FY 20152020 and a strategic planning document that contains all of the above. “To me this is way over due and much needed. I see the figures sometimes that we are up in room tax and food tax … I have doubts in how that is coming about,” Councilman Brent Ashley said. “The last couple years we have been in a holding pattern just trying to keep even … the new up is now even. This is the way we have to go to move forward and increase our tourism.” Tourism Commission Chair Councilwoman Mary Knight added the strategic plan for tourism has received the support of the Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association’s Board of Directors. The Mayor and City Council voted unanimously to approve the Tourism Strategic Plan RFP. The timeframe SEE PAGE 30
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