Sample Destination Strategy Plan
A three-year plan for a fictional county, with goals, a roadmap and a first-year action plan. Built from illustrative data.
Sample · Illustrative data
Pinecrest County 2027 to 2029 Destination Strategy Plan
Prepared by Rural Tourism Network for Visit Pinecrest · November 2026
Pinecrest County is fictional. Every name and figure below is invented to show what a Destination Strategy Plan delivers.
Plan on a Page
Ride It Twice, Stay the Night
By 2029, Pinecrest is the place Iron Range riders spend the night, in every season, and the county board can see what tourism returns.
Three goals, four first-year priorities, and a stop list that pays for them. Built over seven weeks in fall 2026 for board adoption in January 2027.
3
Goals through 2029
4
Priorities in year one
12
Staff hours a week, freed by the stop list
$0
New county money needed in year one
Where Pinecrest Stands
Lodging tax grew 28% in five years and funds 92% of the budget. But 62% of it arrives June to October, and a proposed 60/40 split would cut about $57K a year.
Lodging Tax Collections
Thousands of dollars, by fiscal year
| Fact | Now |
|---|---|
| Budget | $310K |
| Staff | 2 full-time; 4 of 80 weekly hours go to strategy |
| Visitor spending | $58.2M, 690 jobs |
| Local taxes from visitors | $2.3M, $258 per household |
| Listings correct | 86% (412 listings) |
| Partner interviews for this plan | 10 |
Who We Are For
Positioning
The overnight base for the Iron Range Rail Trail.
First audience
Weekend riders from within a three-hour drive.
Second audience
Couples on a midweek or winter getaway.
Not the focus
Group tours, sports tournaments and large events.
Goals Through 2029
Each goal has two measures the board sees every quarter.
| Goal | Measure | Now | 2027 | 2029 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Fill the shoulder seasons | Share of lodging tax collected November to May | 38% | 39% | 45% |
| Ashford itinerary room nights | 0 | 150 | 500 | |
| 2. Be the trusted source for what is open | Listings correct | 86% | 95% | 95% or more |
| Clicks to partner businesses | Not tracked | Tracked from April | Up 25% on 2028 | |
| 3. Keep tourism funded and understood | Lodging tax collections | $380K | No decline | $425K |
| Board scorecards delivered on time | 0 | 4 | 4 a year |
Three-Year Roadmap
| Goal | 2027: Build the Base | 2028: Widen It | 2029: Make It Regional |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Shoulder seasons | Ashford itinerary on sale for October and November; first campaign November to April | Winter itinerary with Ashford; cooperative campaign with lodging partners | Three-county Iron Range product with Millbrook or Harlow |
| 2. Trusted source | All 412 listings verified, one owner, quarterly checks; website RFP issued | New website live; partners update their own listings | Listings shared as a feed with Ashford and the state site |
| 3. Funded and understood | Quarterly scorecard from April; Tourism Value Brief before the split vote | First annual report to the county board | Plan review; start the 2030 to 2032 plan |
Year One Action Plan
Four priorities, two owners, 12 staff hours a week.
| Priority | Owner | Hours a Week | Done by December 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clean and own listings data | Coordinator | 4 | 95% correct each quarter, one person responsible |
| Ashford joint itinerary | Director | 3 | Two-night itinerary on sale October and November, 150 room nights |
| Shoulder-season campaign | Coordinator | 3 | $15K campaign, November 2027 to April 2028 |
| Quarterly board scorecard | Director | 2 | Four scorecards delivered on time |
What Stops
The stop list frees 12 hours a week and $18K. The $18K pays for the campaign ($15K) and listings upkeep tools ($3K).
| Stop | Hours a Week | Saved |
|---|---|---|
| Printed visitor guide | 5 | $18K |
| Running two low-return events | 3 | |
| Day-by-day social posting | 2 | |
| Monthly partner newsletter moves to quarterly | 2 | |
| Total | 12 | $18K |
The Quarterly Scorecard
One page for the board each quarter. Illustrative first quarter, 2027:
| Measure | Q1 2027 | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Shoulder-season share | 38% (target 39%) | On track |
| Listings correct | 93% (target 95%) | On track |
| Partner clicks | Tracking set up | On track |
| Lodging tax | Up 2% | On track |
| Staff hours on priorities | 10 of 12 | Behind |
Sources
All sources are fictional, standing in for the records an RTN plan cites. Pinecrest County lodging tax reports FY2021 to FY2025; Visit Pinecrest budget and staff time audit; state tourism economic impact estimate; ten partner interviews, October 2026; the Verified Asset Inventory and Regional Strategic Analysis samples.