GOVERNMENT The Woodlands, Shenandoah look to build on tourism growth
TRACKING TRAVEL SPENDING
Visitor spending in The Woodlands and Shenandoah in the past decade peaked in 2022 after seeing a dip during 2020, the rst year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Woodlands
Shenandoah
$ 500
$ 400
BY VANESSA HOLT
$ 214.57 M
$ 439.03 M
On the heels of April, when events brought $27 million in tourism spending to The Woodlands in a single week- end, the township’s convention and visitors bureau, Visit The Woodlands, is looking at future prospects to continue harnessing that revenue-generating power. At the same time, the neighboring city of Shenandoah, which has a population hovering around 3,350 over its 2 square miles, is expecting a 13th hotel to open within the next year. In addition, new openings will bring the city’s restaurant o erings to around 60 locations, Visit Shenandoah Director John Mayner said. “An exceedingly high percentage of travel spending that comes into our city is from nonresidents,” Mayner said. “Make no mistake about it— every single day of the year, people come, stay, shop at our shops, eat at our restaurants and drop their dollars.” O cials in The Woodlands and Shenandoah said the trick is how to keep that trend going with increasing regional competition and limited space in which facili- ties can expand. Vertical growth through additional hotel development to provide rooms and conference space is one approach currently underway in Shenandoah and under consideration in The Woodlands. Brook eld Properties, which owns The Woodlands Mall, announced in late 2022 it will add a potential 16-story hotel with 275 rooms and 30,000 feet of confer- ence space as well as a 14-story hotel with 200 rooms. A timeline has not been established for that construction, but in the meantime, The Woodlands Resort is cur- rently undergoing $26 million in renovations, Visit The Woodlands o cials said. The upgrade will include room enhancements, three new dining outlets and a boutique on-site as well as an enhanced conference center. In Shenandoah, Mayner said construction will wrap in early 2024 on the Hampton Inn and Suites under construction o I-45. Brad Bailey, a member of The Woodlands’ board of
$ 300
$ 200
$ 72.27 M
$ 35.99 M
$ 100
$ 0
SOURCES: TEXAS TRAVEL RESEARCH DASHBOARD, DEAN RUNYAN ASSOCIATES COMMUNITY IMPACT
COMMUNITY PROFILES The Woodlands and Shenandoah have seen increases in revenue and in employment in the hospitality industry.
directors and chair of Visit The Woodlands, said the impetus for tourism growth and revenue growth is to keep property taxes down, as sales tax revenue reduces the need for income from property taxes. The Wood- lands’ tax rate is $0.1875, and the city of Shenandoah has a tax rate of $0.1477. Future prospects Events in April such as the Ironman Texas and The Chevron Championship, a Ladies Professional Golf Association championship, brought a surge to tourism while increasing the region’s national pro le, Bailey said. Chevron Championship viewership peaked at about 1.5 million on the weekend of April 22, he said. The event is contracted with The Club at Carlton Woods for ve years. One boon for The Woodlands’ long-term tourism goals would be opening its long-discussed performing arts center alongside The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Bailey said. The indoor venue is under discussion, but high construction costs remain an obstacle, he said. Aside from events tourism, however, The Woodlands sees conventions and conferences as a growing source of revenue. In 2022, it hosted 2,050 meetings, generating $21.6 million in revenue. In March, it hosted the annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. “Every hotel room was full the whole week long. ... It’s great for all the businesses,” Bailey said.
+% Change from 2021
THE WOODLANDS 2021 population: 115,716 2022 TOURISM STATS
Each Primrose school is a privately owned and operated franchise. ©2023 Primrose School Franchising SPE, LLC. All rights reserved. Ages for Summer Adventure Club program vary by location. Fun for children in K–5th grade. PrimroseSterlingRidge.com 281.681.3500 PrimroseImperialOaks.com 281.364.7400 PrimroseCreeksidePark.com 281.351.7300 PrimroseCollegePark.com 936.321.5900 PrimroseHarmonySpring.com 281.907.6900 PrimroseHughesLanding.com 281.292.7400 SOURCES: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY 5 YEAR ESTIMES, TEXAS TRAVEL RESEARCH DASHBOARD, DEAN RUNYAN ASSOCIATES COMMUNITY IMPACT *Tax receipts for travel-related purchase such as lodging, food and beverage, retail goods, and motor fuel. • Tourism employment: 4,150 +9.2% • Tourism wages: $214.6M +16.9% • Tax revenue*: $39.1M +9.2% SHENANDOAH: 2021 population: 3,350 2022 TOURISM STATS • Tourism employment: 700 +9.4% • Tourism wages: $36.3M +17% • Tax revenue*: $5.9M +9.4%
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THE WOODLANDS EDITION • MAY 2023
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