Queen Creek looks to implement new plan to attract tourists

A tourism plan crafted by and for the town is awaiting the green light from the Queen Creek Town Council.

At its Wednesday meeting, the council will be voting on whether to approve the Queen Creek Tourism Strategic Plan.

The plan is on the council’s consent agenda in which all items are voted on with one motion and vote. The council meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at Community Chambers, 20727 E. Civic Parkway.

Last year, the council approved designating the town government as an official destination marketing organization.
Since then, the economic development department has been working on a tourism plan for the town. The plan was unveiled during the July 16 town council meeting.

“Queen Creek has unique destinations and selling points that embody the town’s history, and these include natural attractions like the Queen Creek and Sonoqui washes, San Tan Mountain Regional Park, the cultural heritage that is found at Schnepf Farms, and the Queen Creek Olive Mill,” Doreen Cott, the town’s economic development director, told the council members at the July 16 meeting. “Recreational activities that are found at Horseshoe Park (and Equestrian Centre), Pecan Lake Entertainment, and of course, Queen Creek’s unique local products and foods.”

According to Cott, visitors spent more than $86 million in Queen Creek in 2023 up 30% over 2022. Overnight visitor volume increased more than 18% from 133,000 in 2022 to almost 160,000 in 2023.

Local tax receipts generated by direct travel-related spending totaled almost $4 million in 2023, up 38% from 2022.

“Tourism helps attract new residents, new commercial investment and that broadens the local tax base and expands the local economy,” Cott said.

Earlier this year, the town initiated the strategic planning process to establish priorities and clear direction for tourism planning.

This process involved input from 60 participants in an online community survey in March, 22 participants in stakeholder focus groups in April and 10 interviews with 13 key community stakeholders and elected officials.

The plan envisions Queen Creek being known as the “Agritainment Capital of the World.”
The plan’s goals include:

• Increasing annual tourism-related taxes by 3% year-over-year
• Increasing the economic impact of tourism by 3% by year two of the plan
• Increasing social media audience by 20% in year two of plan
• Increasing the number of event days each year by 10%
• Increasing overnight visitors by 15% year-over-year

“There is no immediate fiscal impact associated with adoption of the strategic plan. However, future budget recommendations and departmental work plans will align with the goals and initiatives outlined in the plan,” according to a council staff report.

During the meeting, Mayor Julia Wheatley noted that Queen Creek tourism was outpacing national and international travel to the U.S.

“(Our) increase was literally double the international increase and triple the national increase,” Wheatley said. “We’re doing something right. Everyone loves a little piece of Queen Creek.”

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