California Tourism Month Rallies Appreciation and Support for the Industry

California Tourism Month delivered a message that encapsulates the industry’s resilience and ongoing challenges: The tourism industry is bringing back jobs and tax revenue, but it is not fully recovered and many businesses still face an uphill battle.

The celebration of California Tourism Month coupled with the release of Visit California’s annual Economic Impact Report drove a pro-tourism narrative among key journalists, elected officials, business leaders and consumers.

President and CEO Caroline Beteta delivered this vital pro-tourism message at conferences, summits and meetings across the state, reaching over 750 stakeholders and key opinion leaders.  

Statewide Press Conference Kicks Off Media Engagement
Visit California commenced California Tourism Month with a press conference, where Beteta released the statewide economic impact results to key media outlets. The conference emphasized tourism’s uneven recovery and the need to return visitation to 2019 levels.

By the end of the month, earned media outreach resulted in 36 media placements, delivering the industry’s recovery story to readers of including placements in the San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento Bee, Travel Pulse and Times of San Diego.

Throughout May, Visit California arranged feature newsletter stories in the California Chamber of Commerce, Rural County Representatives of California, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, California State Association of Counties and League of California Cities to raise the visibility and reiterate the value of California’s travel industry. Collectively, the external newsletters helped reach policy and business stakeholders up and down the state. 

Visit California along with its board of directors further bolstered stakeholder outreach by sending 500 customized emails to legislators and key staff that detailed recovery trends by legislative district.

Industry Partners Unite to Emphasize the Power of Travel 
Visit California distributed media toolkits and county-level economic reports to help destinations communicate tourism’s economic importance to public officials and the media. Talking points and collateral reinforced California Tourism Month messages: 

1. California’s tourism recovery progressed in 2021, but remains uneven across the state
2. The Legislature’s wise decision to provide $95 million in stimulus funds for tourism marketing has aided the recovery.
3. Californians can continue to support local and regional businesses by keeping their 2022 travel spending in California.

Thank you to the many industry members who personalized these recovery messages on social media.