Tourism Planning Process

Destination Waco, in partnership with tourism planning firm Solimar International, is developing a Destination Strategy to guide the future of tourism and destination development in Waco. Waco Forward: Our Destination Strategy is being built through a collaborative planning process that will produce two complementary documents:

• Waco Forward: Our Destination Strategy — a shared, public-facing destination strategy for the City of Waco, its partners, and the community.
• An internal organizational roadmap — a playbook for building Destination Waco's capacity as a modern destination management organization.

Waco Forward: Our Destination Strategy will identify shared priorities, define a vision for tourism, and align with the City of Waco 2040 Comprehensive Plan. It began in late June 2026 with a week of listening: more than 100 stakeholders — hoteliers, restaurants, attractions, artists, chambers of commerce, Baylor, Magnolia, the county, and city leadership — plus a community tourism workshop and the seating of a Planning Steering Committee representing about 15 Waco organizations.

Tourism is an important part of Waco's economy and identity - generating $832 million in direct spending and supporting approximately 6,500 direct travel-related jobs across the Waco metropolitan area, based on 2025 economic impact data from Travel Texas. Visitors support local businesses, restaurants, attractions, hotels, events, and cultural institutions across the city — and visitor spending helps fund city services that residents rely on.

As Waco continues to grow, Waco Forward will help ensure tourism develops in a way that reflects local values, strengthens partnerships, supports downtown and district development, diversifies revenue, and encourages visitors to experience more of what makes Waco unique.

This effort is about more than attracting visitors — it is about building a tourism future that benefits the whole community.

• June – July 2026
  Waco Forward project kickoff, Steering Committee seated, stakeholder interviews and community workshop
• Summer 2026
  Surveys open for residents, tourism businesses, and visitors; interviews continue
• Early fall 2026
  Situation Analysis — what the data and community input tell us
• Late fall 2026
  Draft strategy structure and priorities reviewed with the Steering Committee and partners
• Winter 2026-27
  Draft strategy shared for community feedback
• Early 2027
  Final strategy presented to the CVB commission and Waco City Council