Drive Lodging
Celebrating 10 years of lodging revenue growth.
While we celebrate 10 years of lodging growth from $28M to $68M by FY 22/23 and our resilience during record-breaking visitation, the market is normalizing as travelers make other destination choices and decisions with their discretionary income.
It’s time to regain our lodging growth momentum through smart, strategic destination positioning.
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VTT Strategic Plan & Lodging Owners Board of Directors
Visit Truckee-Tahoe’s Strategic Plan with three goals (attract visitors, leverage strategic partnerships, and destination management) has proven to be a successful foundation in the era of tourism marketing and destination management.
Unlike TOT, strategic decisions on how to use TTBID funds are controlled by a majority of the Visit Truckee-Tahoe Board (lodging representatives) for the purpose of driving lodging.
Proven Track Record -Truckee's Official Visitors Authority
Visit Truckee-Tahoe’s proven track record of helping to drive lodging revenue from from $28M to $63M in 10 years demonstrates our ability to react quickly to changing market conditions, leverage new tech opportunities and get ahead of the competition.
With the goal of lodging business growth, VTT seeks to balance community wellness and sustainable visitor messaging.
Destination Management & Sustainable Truckee
Ensuring a positive experience while guests are in-market is critical. Truckee's brand reputation as a safe, charming and authentic mountain town community must hold steadfast. This is why VTT has supported responsible travel initiatives and Sustainable Truckee programs, totaling $828k to date.
When VTT funds TART Connect and non profits who manage recreation/environment, we help deliver a positive visitor experience - from Donner Lake shoreline restoration to parking for snow play.
Destination Marketing & Digital Assets
Visit Truckee-Tahoe develops compelling branding & campaigns to ensure Truckee stands out in a competitive tourism market and position us as a top destination for travelers seeking year-round adventure and recreation.
With over 9 million in reach, VTT's digital assets and advertising (social, website, search engine marketing, etc.) have the scale to attract prospective guests through the power of collective TTBID funds.
Lodging's Voice for Advocacy
VTT ensures the interests of Truckee’s lodging businesses are protected and a top priority for local, regional, and state decisions. You will find dozens of letters, lobbying and public comments made on behalf of our industry. Currently, VTT is looking closely at the STR Ordinance and our industry's needs.
Our advocacy work strengthens the economy, bolsters long-term strategic partnerships, and ensures a balanced approach to growth, benefiting both visitors and the local community.
Events and Shoulder Season
Attracting visitors during quieter shoulder seasons fills gaps in occupancy, maximizing revenue and helping stabilize lodging business throughout the year. By strategically funding events in the shoulder seasons, VTT ensures Truckee remains top-of-mind for travelers, building a reputation for consistent, year-round appeal.
Only TTBID funds are available to drive lodging
TTBID provides dedicated funding for Visit Truckee-Tahoe to drive desire for our destination that results in lodging revenue. TTBID funds have been the primary income source for Truckee's destination marketing since 2015.
Renewing TTBID ensures Truckee competes through strategic marketing, advocacy, and responsible travel initiatives that individual businesses can't achieve alone.
Without TTBID, Truckee risks losing vital tourism promotion, which can lead to weakening the local economy, losing lodging businesses, jobs and vital community services if TOT falters as the 3rd highest tax income for Town of Truckee.
Currently, there are no other local income sources to fund Truckee tourism marketing, promotion, partnerships or events. Or, to protect and build resilience for the lodging industry in challenging times.
What Terms are Included in TTBID 2025-2035
On January 23, 2025, the VTT Board voted on renewal terms that will ensure the success of Truckee's lodging industry. The changes for this term are a 10 year term vs 5 years and an addition of one citizen-at-large seat on the Board.
- TTBID Term: 10 years (July 2025-June 2035)
- TTBID Fee: Remain at 1.25% with language allowing for cap of 2% and bottom of .75% upon approval by Town Council
- Budget: year one (July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026) estimated $540,162 (estimated $43M Truckee lodging revenue).
- Allocations: 85% marketing for visitor attraction, advocacy and lobbying, strategic partnerships to ensure best experience, and destination management/events sponsorships.
- Governance: TTBID will continue to be managed "Owners Association" by Visit Truckee-Tahoe, with a majority (5 out of 7) Board comprised of Lodging representatives, in addition to one seat assigned by the Town of Truckee and one citizen-at-large seat.
TTBID FAQ's
How does VTT and TTBID address community concerns about tourism?
Sustainable Truckee - an initiative with staying power
VTT’s 20+ stewardship programs, services and funding in the past four years have included partnerships with TART Connect, the Truckee Donner Land Trust, and the Truckee River Watershed Council to mitigate visitor impacts and ensure long-term environmental protection.
Our network of 65+ tourism-attracting businesses (retail, restaurants) benefit greatly from over $125K in Sustainable Truckee gift card sales.
Balanced Visitation - Shoulder Season Focus
Campaigns are targeted to midweek and off-peak periods to reduce community strain while supporting year-round economic benefits.
Why is TTBID essential for the future of Truckee's lodging businesses?
TTBID funding is dedicated to driving lodging, which fuels Truckee’s economy.
- TTBID is exclusively utilized by Visit Truckee-Tahoe (VTT) to drive lodging revenue through a foundational, yet flexible, strategic plan.
- Unlike TOT, TTBID funds are managed by the official majority-lodging VTT Board and are not controlled by the Town of Truckee.
- Lodging guests are the backbone of Truckee’s economy, spending 70% of $244M annually, supporting local businesses and 1,000+ jobs.
- TTBID is Critical to Visitor Attraction & Visibility: In a competitive Lake Tahoe landscape, TTBID ensures Truckee remains high in the traveler’s consideration set, when planning a summer and winter ski vacation in California.
- Proven, Lodging Board Leadership: Strategic, highly targeted and transparent use of TTBID funds proves spending is always in the best interest of lodging payers.
What is the history of the TTBID?
1st TTBID (2015-2020)
In 2015, facing the loss of tourism marketing funds once provided by the Town of Truckee to the Chamber of Commerce, Truckee’s lodging businesses voted to establish the first TTBID, a 2% self-assessment fee to drive destination marketing and advocate for the industry. TTBID funds were then used to help grow lodging revenue from $28M to $43M by FY18/19, doubling traveler spending in Truckee's Tourism Economy from $20M to $42M. By the end of 2019, national and regional news about Truckee earned over $12M in media coverage, boosting our destination's appeal and strengthening our tourism economy.
2nd TTBID (2020-2025)
In 2020, Visit Truckee-Tahoe (VTT) was formed as Truckee's first official tourism authority to manage the second TTBID, ensuring lodging decision control and expanding efforts to include stewardship initiatives.
Amid the challenges of COVID-19, TTBID funding allowed VTT to help sustain the lodging industry under extraordinary operating pressures, while achieving a record $68M in lodging revenue.
Visit Truckee-Tahoe’s immediate priority in the first year of Covid-19 was to defend, protect, sustain and build resilience for lodging owners. We needed to not only weather the catastrophic impacts of the pandemic to our industry at the outset, we had to protect the destination from harmful media coverage and over-visitation negative impacts.
- We lobbied and worked closely with NV County to get, and keep lodging open.
- We provided emergency disaster recovery funding for Truckee’s lodging business owners when the state and federal government did not provide meaningful financial aid.
- We managed messaging and media relations to prevent long term, negative brand tarnish, helping Truckee stay out of the Lake Tahoe “overtourism” media bullseye.
- We were leaders amongst our Tahoe competitors by launching Sustainable Truckee with over 20 programs and initiatives that continue to have strong impacts today.
- We prevented unwelcoming citizen backlash to “overtourism” through persistent, consistent messaging, community surveys, and outreach.
3rd TTBID (2025-2035)
In the past two years, the “normalization” of California travel patterns is the primary reason behind Truckee’s decline in lodging revenue. Yet, at $54M forecasted this fiscal year 24/25, we are well above pre-Covid $43M in lodging revenue in FY 18/19.
This leveling off is incredibly challenging for lodging owners (Truckee’s hosts, property managers, hoteliers) who rely upon revenue for business income and who ramped up operations to handle record-breaking demand in 2020-2022.
Truckee’s third TTBID is critical for Visit Truckee-Tahoe, the official tourism authority, to return lodging revenue to growth. Funds from TTBID Renewal will be used to stem, then turnaround Truckee’s declining lodging revenue and potential loss of market share to North, South Lake Tahoe and other winter town destinations in the US.
What would happen if TTBID went away?
- Truckee’s regional competitors (North Lake and South Lake Tahoe) and nearly all other tourism destinations in California and nationally, are now funded by a Tourism Improvement Districts (TID). Unlike the past, local governments now rarely help fund tourism marketing or management.
- Without TTBID funding, VTT would have no other source of income to drive lodging demand, raise Truckee’s destination appeal and advocate for our industry’s needs.
How are TTBID funds used to be flexible, effectively responding to challenges and changing marketing conditions?
Adaptability with Proven Strategies
Visit Truckee-Tahoe's Strategic Plan gives flexibility to reallocate resources when conditions change, whether it’s marketing, advocacy, event sponsorships during shoulder seasons or destination management. This agility has allowed VTT to help our industry during unprecedented challenges, including peak visitation in Covid-19 when there was no bailout for our industry. VTT was able to immediately distribute TTBID funds for Truckee lodging owners to survive.
Increased Marketing, Promotions to Rebuild Growth
In FY 24/25 allocations to attract visitors increased from 36% to 76% to combat declining lodging demand, including all new brand positioning and AI and emerging tech, and shoulder-season events to attract high-yield visitors.
Why would a 10-year TTBID renewal be better than 5?
Stability for Strategic Growth
A 10-year renewal ensures VTT’s longevity, enabling Truckee’s official tourism authority to maintain its stronghold on tourism and continue advocating for lodging industry with other local districts and agencies.
Lodging-Controlled Decisions
The VTT Board’s majority of lodging representatives ensures decisions remain aligned with the industry’s best interests.
Flexible and Future-Ready
With language allowing adaptable fee levels (.75%-2%) and shifting priorities as needed, VTT can remain responsive to changing conditions.
How does VTT advocate for the lodging industry?
- STR Advocacy and Policy Support: VTT is actively prioritizing the needs of property managers and independent hosts by ensuring the upcoming Town of Truckee STR Ordinance review (Aug-Sept. 2025) will have our lodging interests at the forefront.
- Representation & Lobbying: VTT lobbies for Truckee’s tourism industry and the lodging sector at regional and state levels, cultivating partnerships with key organizations (e.g., Tahoe Stewardship Council, Visit California, California Travel Association) and fostering local relationships including California State Parks, Tahoe National Forest Service and multiple recreation-focused non profits.
- Tahoe Ski Areas: are critical to VTT's success. Our collaborative partnerships with Palisades Tahoe, Northstar California, Sugar Bowl, and Tahoe Donner continue to be strong and highly interdependent.
- VTT stands by a strong Advocacy Policy with priorities to defend, protect, lobby and build resilience for our industry.