Guests to exploreorovalley.com are instantly drawn to a photograph of stately saguaros, seemingly pointing toward sunset monsoon clouds on the flanks of Pusch Ridge.
Charles Alolkoy’s rich image is among dozens of colorful pictures adorning Oro Valley’s newly launched, first-ever tourism and travel digital platform.
Once they’ve seen Oro Valley’s “scenic views and gorgeous weather,” website visitors can dive into comprehensive, illustrated information about all things Oro Valley — from trails to tennis, pickleball to public art, attractions to itineraries, a blog, a calendar, and a link to subscribe to an e-newsletter. They can find a restaurant or book a hotel room.
“It’s all on the site,” Crystal Franke, the town’s first destination marketing organization manager, told the Oro Valley Town Council at the May 20 reveal of the platform.
“This website is more than just a tourism tool,” said Paul Melcher, the town’s community and economic development director. “It’s a reflection of who we are as a community.”
“We’ve been really busy building a destination identity for our beautiful town,” Franke told the governing board, which raved about the result. “It’s modern, active, welcoming, outdoor-forward, and energetic. It’s how we want to position ourselves moving forward.”
Exploreorovalley.com is “designed to inspire visitation, support local businesses and showcase the experiences that make Oro Valley one of Arizona’s most vibrant desert destinations,” the town said in a release.
The platform is connected by tourism-specific logos tailored for digital, print, banner, merchandise and other uses. Secondary logos add “a layer of storytelling and personality to the identity,” Franke said.
“We wanted to create something that captures the feeling of being here, whether that’s hiking at sunrise, discovering public art, attending an event, relaxing at a resort, or simply experiencing the beauty of the Sonoran Desert,” Melcher said. “The new site allows us to tell Oro Valley’s story in a much more compelling and inspiring way.”
Events “play a huge part in tourism,” Franke said, so the website has a dynamic calendar of events, searchable by date, category, and keyword. And, because Oro Valley’s wide collection of public art “sets us apart,” exploreorovalley.com has a picture and location for every art installation. Guests can create their own curated public art itineraries, identify the art they want to see, and create a map on how to get there.
“The emphasis on site development was user interaction,” making it “as simple as possible” for people to identify what Oro Valley has to offer, and what they can do, Melcher said. “It’s helpful for visitors, and for local residents, too.”
“It’s not just built for people who know Oro Valley, it’s built for people who want to learn about Oro Valley, and plan their trips here,” Franke said. “A lot of people plan their trips on their phone. Everything is responsive, and plays nicely on your phone.”
Franke described the platform as “the foundation for future destination efforts. This really gives us a stronger visitor experience, a stronger storytelling platform, and better stakeholder visibility.”
Franke has left the town’s employment for a new opportunity. Before she did so, Mayor Joe Winfield lauded Franke for “her service in this position. You’ve brought incredible talents and abilities, enthusiasm and passion. You’ve left an imprint on this community that will last, for me, a lifetime. We wish you well in your next position.”
