Regional Strategic Tourism Plans
Since January 2023, Visit California has collaborated with the global consulting firm Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) on the development of regional strategic tourism plans for each of the state’s 12 tourism regions. The initiative is funded through a one-time investment by the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
The plans are designed to examine the full range of tourism dynamics, from destination brand perceptions to housing imbalances, environmental challenges, workforce development, public safety issues and infrastructure priorities.
The evolution of these plans has included over 1,500 touchpoints, including survey responses, presentations to stakeholders, monthly regional advisory committee meetings in each region and 768 individual interviews. The process has involved careful study of existing state, regional and local plans.
A cornerstone of this project is a first-of-its-kind undertaking to measure each tourism region’s performance related to resilience and sustainability. A comprehensive assessment is being conducted for each region, including international knowledge on risk and resilience planning by Risklayer, as well as expertise by the global environmental and sustainability consulting firm SWCA. A customized Resilience & Sustainability Scorecard will be developed to complete an assessment of each region and provide incremental recommendations to ensure long-term success of the tourism ecosystem.
The 12 regional plans, scheduled for release in early 2025, will offer actionable recommendations and implementation strategies in each region. The goal is for tourism businesses, DMOs and community leaders to use the findings and recommendations to inform decisions, inspire partnerships and build a more sustainable future for the industry.
Questions concerning the plans can be directed to Visit California’s Director of External Affairs Jon Changus at JChangus@VisitCalifornia.com.
