Fort Bragg Weighs New Tourism Marketing Model With $680,000 Budget
Business leaders suggest tourism dollars can work "harder and smarter"
Local officials and business leaders are weighing a significant overhaul of how Fort Bragg promotes itself to the world, debating a transition from a city-led advisory model to an independent Destination Marketing Organization (DMO).
John Glidewell, regional manager of Beachcomber Hotel Group and a board member of Visit Mendocino County, said the new organization would be headed by an executive director with a budget of $680,000. “We’ll have an accountable owner in a single professional who is responsible for Fort Bragg’s visitor economy rather than priorities spread across committees, consultants, and part-time staff,” Glidewell said during a June 15 presentation to the Visit Fort Bragg Committee.
The DMO would receive $380,000 from the City of Fort Bragg — a $35,000 increase over the city’s current tourism budget — with the balance coming from Visit Mendocino County, the county’s official tourism organization. The expanded budget would prioritize paid media as the primary engine for driving overnight stays, alongside significant investments in visitor experience.
“I think that there’s a lot more potential for visitation, for the economy, for jobs,” said Scott Schneider, interim executive director of Visit Mendocino County and general manager of the Noyo Harbor Inn in Fort Bragg. “Our occupancy is not nearly where we want it to be annually. I know retail stores aren’t as busy as they want to be. Restaurants aren’t as busy as they want to be. There’s a lot of potential to bring in visitors, especially in the shoulder season.”
The proposal comes as the travel industry faces steep hurdles in tracking the effectiveness of digital spending. Industry data indicates that while travelers visit an average of 38 websites before booking, linking a “digital click” to a physical hotel check-in remains structurally difficult. Furthermore, customer acquisition costs in the travel sector rose approximately 35 percent between 2022 and 2025, far outpacing the growth in visitor lifetime value.
To address these challenges, Glidewell proposed anchoring success on measurable metrics such as occupancy data, Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) growth, and visitor satisfaction. Currently, Fort Bragg’s TOT revenue has surpassed sales tax as the largest general fund source, reaching over $3.2 million.
While business leaders like Schneider emphasized that tourism investments could “work harder and smarter,” Councilmember Lindy Peters urged the committee not to lose focus on the residents. Peters highlighted the historical reason for the committee’s creation: to ensure funds were spent specifically on promoting Fort Bragg rather than being absorbed by broader regional efforts.
“Have we promoted CV Star to its fullest potential?” he asked. “I do not think so. Have we promoted the guest house to its potential? I do not think so. The Noyo Center? I do not think so.”
Committee member Barb Bruce noted that the current contract with the city’s marketing firm, The Idea Cooperative, was set to end in just two weeks. She felt it was risky to decide on a new organizational structure so close to that deadline, noting that a similar situation the previous year had been “messy.”
The committee reached a consensus to delay a formal recommendation to the City Council. Instead, staff will conduct a survey of committee members to refine long-term goals and return for a dedicated meeting to finalize a strategic direction. In the interim, the city plans to move forward with a projected $20,000 increase to the existing “Visit Fort Bragg” budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
When I worked at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens back in the 1980s I went to a conference with the Director of the Chamber of Commerce. We were trying to find ways to bring group tours to the Mendocino Coast. We were surprised to discover that we didn't have enough attractions to keep tour groups here for two nights, which was essential for them to make the stop worthwhile. They would visit the Botanical Gardens, attend the Footlighters Theater performance, spend one night in Fort Bragg and then ride the Skunk Train to Willits, where their bus would pick them up.
The other thing we lacked was year-round tourism. We did not have enough events or attractions during the off season to support local businesses. Mendocino Village was the only place where lodging acheived the necessary 70 percent year-round occupancy rate.
I think the obvious solution is for the former GP property to become Noyo Headlands State Park. The level of soil contamination makes it impractical for any use but open space. And even if the property could be cleaned up, any housing built there would not be affordable, and would likely become second homes and vacation rentals. No signifiant industry is going to come to Fort Bragg because of our remote location, lack of workforce housing and lack of economic diversity.
The other obvious solution is to build a performing arts center near the Fort Bragg side of Noyo Headlands State Park with massive windows facing the State Park and the Pacific Ocean. This could host year-round events such as jazz concerts and Shakespeare festivals, and it could become the permanent home of the Mendocino Music Festival. Peforming arts centers within public parks and open spaces are common throughout the world. And former industrial sites throughout the world with river, lake and ocean frontage are almost always converted to large public open spaces.
We have reached the point where our remaining trees are more valuable as part of a healthy ecosystem than they ever were as timber. Our visitors at the Botanical Gardens constantly reminded us that we have world class hiking and biking trails, ocean views and natural habitats. Organizations like the Mendocino Land Trust are working to make these places open to the public.
I would like to see the DMO's track record in other cities. The idea of anchoring success to Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) growth seems like a great idea. The town is really working to bring fantastic events and lots of live music to our little coastal town, but the natural beauty and hiking/biking trails seems to be missed to a certain extent in promotional activity.