Year End Overview

The Pearland Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) commemorated its 10th year as a City of Pearland department with a jam-packed calendar of both leisure and sporting events, robust marketing campaigns, and the adoption of Pearland’s first ever Cultural Arts Master Plan project.

Pearland welcomed 360,000 visitors to the City during 2023 with visitors originating from the top five cities including DFW, Austin, San Antonio, College Station and New Orleans.

FY2023 culminated in ranking at the top spot for highest Hotel Occupancy Tax revenue generated since inception of the CVB as a City department in
2013. Total FY2023 Hotel Occupancy Tax revenue equaled $1,743,243 representing a 14% year over year increase.

According to Travel Texas’ Texas Research Dashboard, Pearland saw $150 million in direct spending by visitors in 2022, which generated $5.2 million
in tax revenue for Pearland and $8.4 million in State tax revenue. This visitor spending also contributed to $49 million in earnings for tourism employees, including those who work at hotels, shops, and restaurants in Pearland.

Highlights of 2023

The CVB continued to nurture the partnership with United States Fastpitch Assocation (USFA) to expand their footprint in Pearland to 10 tournaments in a calendar year. During FY2023 the partnership produced a total of 1,361 room nights for Pearland hotels with 470 participating teams (94 traveling teams), an overall attendance of 22,904 and an estimated total economic impact of $3.3 million. USFA served as a catalyst for major improvement projects including the upgraded restroom facilities at Centennial Park and the newly turfed baseball fields (allowing play for both softball and baseball) at the Sportsplex at Shadow Creek Ranch. The upgrades benefit sports tournaments organizers, local user groups, and residents.

Pearland Restaurant Weeks (PRW) launched in November of 2022 to entice visitation through the promotion of Pearland as a culinary destination, subsequently supporting Pearland business owners and stimulating the local economy. Social media posts from the Visit Pearland channels and event partner Houston Food Finder garnered a total of 9,875 impressions, and organic coverage of the event spanned many outlets. PRW 2022 inspired discussion and promotion of the growing culinary scene in Pearland and strengthened the CVB’s partnerships with local restauranteurs.

The first Cultural Arts Master Plan project commenced with City Council approval of the contract to the Cultural Planning Group (CPG) during the March 6, 2023 meeting. The CVB team created a Steering Committee roster, coordinated 14 internal stakeholder meetings, and conducted over six hours of tours during the three-day site visit in August as Phase 1 of the four-phase project.

For the first time, the CVB hosted the TxDOT Fall Study Tour in October 2022. Comprised of 17 Travel Information Center Counselors and leadership from Texas Travel Alliance, the entourage explored several Pearland stops including a dinner at Killen’s Barbecue during their 10-hour tour. Pearland was voted as “Best Dinner” and received recognition during the Travel Expo held in Mesquite.

The Pear-Scape Trail expanded with two new additions to the Trail including the “Expressionist” pear at Koza’s and the “Pearalicious” design at the Ed Thompson Inclusive Park.