The Victoria Convention & Visitors Bureau on Jan. 28 presented an annual report highlighting bicentennial programming, a new tourism brand and higher online engagement. The office said it staged a series of events that attracted in- and out-of-area visitors, developed new visitor materials and plans to trial expanded visitor-center hours.

Joel (last name not specified in transcript), director of the CVB, said bicentennial events sold out tours and drew broader attention to Victoria. He credited staff and community partners for organizing the Old Victoria trolley tours and a high-attendance Tejas Fest that the CVB said generated thousands of visits over a weekend. The CVB also purchased and stored a carriage that came into city possession and hosted historical exhibits and a Bicentennial Ball.

The CVB unveiled new branding — "True to Tejas" — and said the refreshed visual identity will be used across visitor guides, maps and marketing. Joel said the CVB's website recorded roughly 160,000 visits in the reporting year and the agency is improving digital tools, including an itinerary builder and an events calendar module.

To support sports and group sales the CVB said it will continue discounted hotel partnerships, welcome bags for event participants and targeted outreach to bring tournament and convention business. Joel and staff cautioned that the CVB is a small team and that increased conventions or community-center usage may require additional staffing in future budgets to support sales and event hosting.

As an operational change, the CVB will soft-launch expanded visitor-center hours with a transaction window at 700 Main: Thursdays and Fridays 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; a grand opening for the reconfigured space is planned for Feb. 7. The CVB director said the office will track visitation during the pilot schedule and report metrics back to council.

The office described ongoing efforts to create a lodging-hotelier association, a short-term-rental registration approach and to modernize signage for the town-driving tour and other wayfinding elements.