DRAFT_Tourism_Website_Request_for_Proposals.docx

Tourism Website Request for Proposals (RFP)

Project Introduction:

The Flagler County Board of County Commissioners seeks a qualified web development firm with a strong tourism industry background to design, develop and launch an updated version of VisitFlagler.com, for the tourism development department known to consumers as Palm Coast and the Flagler Beaches. This plan should incorporate best practices in the travel and tourism industry, cutting edge technology and a creative approach on how to deliver solutions that are search-friendly, AI-friendly, performance-driven, and secure. This should include a plan for migrating existing content and incorporating new.

The economic development department is also a part of the tourism development department and currently has a mico-site that will need to be considered and a part of the overall project.

Mission Statement:

To elevate Flagler County as a viable and sustainable place to live, work, and visit.

Vision Statement:

To connect people with experiences that empower and inspire them to make a positive contribution within their own communities.

About Palm Coast and the Flagler Beaches:

Located on Florida’s northeast coast, Palm Coast and the Flagler Beaches is 31 miles south of Saint Augustine and 24 miles north of Daytona Beach. The destination is bisected by I-95, which makes for easy driving access and proximity to several international airports. Exit 284 off of I-95 is the closest exit to the beach from Maine to Miami.

Palm Coast and the Flagler Beaches is a quirky coastal escape that features unspoiled natural beauty, a spectacular independent foodie scene, and plenty of arts and cultural activities. The area is anchored by the iconic Flagler Beach Municipal Pier, a retro-style A-Frame that opened in 1928. Other notable features are the coquina rocks at Mala Compra Beachfront Park, the longest exposed outcropping of coquina rock in the world—formed by the accumulation of shells and sand over 2.5 million years ago.

With 19 miles of cinnamon-colored beaches, numerous state and local parks and preserves, and 135+ miles of canopied trails and waterways, ecotourism opportunities abound. Kayak through the pristine Intracoastal Waterway, pedal through unpaved technical trails, or birdwatch in one of the area's six designated Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trails. The destination boasts three Florida State Parks: Gamble Rogers Memorial State Park, Bulow Plantation Ruins State Park, and Washington Oaks Gardens State Park.

Visitors can check off bucket-list adventures, from animal encounters to surfing. Marineland Dolphin Adventure offers the chance to swim with majestic dolphins at its oceanfront location, while Equestrian Adventures of Florida takes guests on hour-long horseback rides along the beach. Flagler Surf School teaches students of all ages how to ride the waves during private or group lessons.

Annual events include the Hang 8 Dog Surfing competition, which features pups soaring across the waves; the Palm Coast Songwriters Festival, a four-day event with renowned and emerging country artists; and the Princess Place Preserve Pow Wow, a two-day event honoring Native American culture with traditional dancing, exhibits, and more.

Area accommodations range from branded hotels to a luxury resort and vacation rentals. The Hammock Beach Golf Resort and Spa features two signature golf courses—one overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, a rejuvenating spa, and a 91,000-square-foot water park. In Flagler Beach, the newly opened Compass Hotel by Margaritaville is a 100-room oasis with a rooftop bar, onsite restaurant, and complimentary breakfast.

In early 2027, we will open the Flagler County Visitor Eco-Discovery Center a new 10,000 square foot, $10.3 million state-of-the-art facility that will benefit both travelers and residents by allowing them to experience and learn more about the recreational, natural, and cultural resources of Flagler County.

Scope of Work:

The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to select qualified firms to perform services in the areas of Website Design and Development. Respondents shall have documented success, appropriately experienced staff and adequate resources to provide comprehensive professional-level services in some or all of these areas, and provide associated deliverables as outlined below.

Proposers must have an established reputation and documented successful experience in providing the services outlined below for other clients in industries including hospitality, travel and tourism, economic development, airport/aviation development, and tourism development. Please provide a list of current and past clients in these industries.

In order to be considered, respondents must demonstrate their experience, qualifications, competence and capabilities. Proposers will be responsible for creating and adhering to project schedules and completing all work within quoted project budget and timelines.

The following are guidelines as to the type of work that may be required for tasks performed under the awarded contract. Firms are welcome to identify any additional specific qualifications or expertise not noted, if they would like to highlight specialties that their firm offers. The tasks that may be required from time to time or on an ongoing basis have been outlined in three major categories below and may include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Website Features and Capabilities

· Development of a fully responsive, mobile-friendly website

· User-Centric Navigation:

· Intuitive design

· Streamlined navigation

· Robust, filterable listings and events calendar with user submission capabilities and administrative review workflows

· User-friendly content management system that allows for internal updates by tourism staff

· Integration of booking systems and other third-party tools

· Microsite capabilities

· Customer Relationship Management software

· Seamless integration with Google Analytics

2. Content Migration

· Seamless migration of existing content and listings, blogs, media, reports, and tourism resources

· Ensure preservation of existing SEO value and backlinks from current domains

3. Performance Monitoring and Digital Assistance

· Monthly printed digital marketing reports including:

· SEO performance (organic traffic summary, page performance, listings, events,

· Partner listing referrals

· SEO recommendations

· Monthly status calls to review report and suggestions to improve SEO performance

· Crawl error checks and corrections

· Monthly audit of pages/blogs for SEO optimization For purposes of this RFP, we would like for you to bring a recommendation for incorporating these items and any other recommending features

· Forms

· Google Maps

· Trip Advisor

· Social Media integration

· Social Content Curations: Crowdriff

· Booking

· Weather

· Videos

Term of Contract:

It is the intent of the County to enter into contract for the duration of three (3) years with the option to renew for two (2) additional, one (1) year periods, if mutually agreed on by both parties at least 30 days prior to expiration of the existing term.

Budget:

A defined budget will be established for the initial website redesign, development, and launch. This allocation should include all costs associated with planning, design, development, project management, testing, and implementation. After the website is live, a separate ongoing monthly budget will cover the hosting, licensing, and support. Proposals should include a comprehensive breakdown that clearly identifies:

· One time cost for the redesign, build, and launch.

· Recurring monthly or annual cost (i.e, hosting, licensing, and support) Monthly Reporting:

Vendor shall on a monthly basis provide the County with written SEO reports outlining website performance.

Training & Documentation:

· Conduct staff training at launch and ongoing training as needed.

· Develop and maintain documentation of “how-to” steps for content authors in a shared environment.

· Develop and maintain catalogue with visual reference guides of available CMS components, widgets, etc available to authors.

Scoring Criteria:

Proposals will be scored by a committee and will use the following criteria:

1. Relevant Experience and Tourism Expertise (25%) Criteria: Demonstrated success in developing websites for destination marketing organizations.

2. Strategic and Creative Approach (25%) Criteria: Quality of the proposed strategy, innovative design, creative thinking, UX design plans, and ability to align with Visit Flagler brand vision and objectives.

3. Technical Capabilities and UX Design (25%) Criteria: Proficiency in developing scalable, accessible, SEO-optimized websites with strong mobile-first performance and CMS flexibility.

4. Cost/Fee Proposal (25%) Criteria: Competitive and cost-effectiveness to the proposed scope of work.

Sample Projects:

Provides at least three (3) sample websites from the past five (5) years as part of your submittal for your firm’s creative solutions to promote tourism/travel and the hospitality industry. Please list the cost estimate for each.

We welcome and encourage respondents to offer suggestions for additional functionalities, tools, or other enhancements that may not be explicitly outlined in this RFP but could add value to the project. Your expertise and creative input are highly appreciated and may be considered in the evaluation process.