The coronavirus pandemic has set back (but not defeated) Ventura’s travel and hospitality businesses, but the economic power of the tourism industry is igniting a comeback as California Tourism Month begins.
The California travel industry’s underlying strength and enduring selflessness and resilience aligns with California Tourism Month’s theme, the “Power of Possibility.” This week, California also joins the U.S. Travel Association in honoring the Power of Travel for National Travel and Tourism Week.
“At Visit Ventura we have always spoken the truth,” says Marlyss Auster, Visit Ventura President & CEO. “And here’s the simple truth. There has never been a more important time for the economic driver that is tourism. Tourism will put Ventura — and our surrounding communities — back on their feet. Working together, with ongoing safety in mind, we can not only survive, we can thrive.”
Despite losses due to Covid-19 business closures and community lockdowns, California is well-positioned for recovery.
The long-term outlook for California has brightened considerably. Tourism Economics projects domestic visitor spending in California will reach 76% of 2019 levels this year. In 2022, domestic spending will hit 94% of 2019 levels, and total visitor spending, including resurgent international travel, will hit 87%.
The Golden State remains among the best-performing states in case counts and vaccination rates and has implemented long-term health measures so visitors can feel safe.
The outlook for summer travel in California is very positive, as the state expects to remove most restrictions by June 15 – just before summer officially arrives.
The vast majority of California’s abundance of tourism assets – theme parks, museums, concert halls, restaurants and wineries among them – are moving toward normal operations. Ventura, graced with the wide open spaces perfect for cautious recovery — from Channel Islands National Park to recently opened Harmon Canyon (a hiking and biking paradise) — has begun welcoming visitors back.
“With all our incredible outdoors and wide open beach spaces, Ventura is perfectly suited for these still socially-distanced times,” says Auster. “We’ve always welcomed visitors warmly. Now we welcome them warmly and safely.”
And as Californians resume traveling, they have the power to jumpstart the state’s economic recovery by choosing to keep their trips within California.
“California’s tourism industry has long provided Californians with a strong civic foundation and generated billions of dollars in state and local tax revenues to help provide services that benefit everyone in the state,” said Caroline Beteta, president and CEO of Visit California. “Now residents can help their fellow Californians by keeping their tourism dollars in California and supporting local businesses as a modern-day act of patriotism. Together we can support our own economic recovery. There is power in California civic pride”
But there is plenty of work to do, particularly to re-build the vibrant travel and hospitality workforce. A month after the mid-March lockdown, more than half of the 1.2 million tourism workers found themselves without jobs.
Even as the economy re-opens and businesses gradually offer more services to more and more consumers, the foundation of the industry – its people – still strive to return to work in a safe and confident manner that makes economic sense for them and their families.
“In the end, it’s not really about economics,” says Auster. “It’s about kindness and caring.”
