SLO County Tourism Marketing District Reauthorized
Author: Visit SLO CAL (www.SLOCAL.com)
Date: 1/14/2020 4:03 PM
The County Board of Supervisors renewed the San Luis Obispo County Tourism Marketing District (SLOCTMD).
The following announcement was originally released by Visit SLO CAL:
The County Board of Supervisors voted today to renew the San Luis Obispo County Tourism Marketing District (SLOCTMD), managed by Visit SLO CAL, through June 2030.
The SLOCTMD is a per night assessment on all lodging properties in San Luis Obispo County, including the seven incorporated cities, which generates funds to promote a greater awareness of the county to potential visitors. The SLOCTMD was originally established by the lodging community and Board of Supervisors in 2015 for a five-year period, expiring in June 2020.
“In 2019, the Visit SLO CAL Board of Directors voted to petition the countywide lodging properties to renew the SLOCTMD for a ten-year period, with the desire to continue competing for destination awareness on the world stage, spur additional investment in the industry and increase resident quality-of-life, via product development and continued job growth,” said Clint Pearce, Visit SLO CAL Chairman of the Board, President of Madonna Enterprises and Lodging Investor.
Over the last six months, Visit SLO CAL staff and board members have collected petitions in support of the SLOCTMD totaling 75 percent of the assessed lodging properties and received unanimous consent from all seven city councils and the Board of Supervisors.
“From the start of the SLOCTMD in 2015, Visit SLO CAL has branded the region, partnered with the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport to open six new direct air service markets, spent more than $5,000,000 marketing SLO CAL as a place to visit, generated international awareness, advocated for the Travel & Tourism industry and created a first of its kind, countywide destination management strategy,” said Chuck Davison, President and CEO of Visit SLO CAL. “And we are just getting started.”
Prior to launching the renewal initiative, Visit SLO CAL conducted a return on investment study in partnership with Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics Company, which showed that for every $1 spent in marketing by the organization, an average of $40 in economic impact was created in the county.
“We know that the Travel & Tourism industry in SLO CAL is the second largest economic driver with more than $1.81B in economic impact created by more than 7.5M visitors in the destination each year,” said Davison. “We are grateful to our local government partners, including the city managers, city councils, the county administrative office and the Board of Supervisors for allowing the industry to continue to invest in itself and to create an even greater impact in the years ahead.”
“The work done by Visit SLO CAL is second to none, and the county, each of our communities and the lodging investors should be proud we have an organization creating such a positive impact,” said Adam Hill, SLO County Board Chairman and 3rd District Supervisor. “I am looking forward to their continued success.”
In the coming months, Visit SLO CAL leadership will be working alongside the lodging investors and other partners to develop a new strategic plan, Strategic Direction 2023, which is expected to include an emphasis on increasing the advertising spend, adding additional sales support, developing more international awareness, continued growth in air service and implementation of the countywide destination management strategy.
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About Visit SLO CAL: Visit SLO CAL is the non-profit countywide destination marketing and management organization. Its goal is to promote SLO CAL (San Luis Obispo County) through marketing, advertising, public relations, group sales, promotions, events and sponsorship – branding the region as a preferred destination for regional, national and international travelers. Visit SLO CAL works in partnership with tourism-related businesses and organizations to create a unified marketing approach that promotes the unique assets of the county. For more information, visit SLOCAL.com.
Media Contact:
Lisa Verbeck, Chief Marketing Officer
[email protected]
805-541-8000
