Visit Ventura receives their first U.S. Travel Association award for Community Engagement during X Games 2023. Visit Ventura collaborated and got creative with state, county, and local stakeholders to promote the X Games and engage the local community in the celebration.
For the first time, Visit Ventura received the U.S. Travel Association ESTO Destiny Award for Community Engagement during X Games 2023
Visit Ventura is extremely proud to announce that they are a recipient of the U.S. Travel Association 2024 ESTO Destiny Award, winning the Community Engagement award for their creativity and collaboration with key stakeholders, small business owners, and the community to celebrate the X Games across Ventura, weaving the international sports event into the fabric of the town. This is the first ESTO Destiny Award Visit Ventura has received.
The award was presented at the U.S. Travel Association’s 40th annual ESTO conference —which recognizes U.S. Travel destination and state tourism office members for excellence and creative accomplishment in destination marketing— where over 1,000 attendees representing states, regions, and cities from all over the nation attended.
“Judges noted that this campaign was a success story to rival all others with all of the tactics precisely on target. Building a foundation with a partnership between the X Games, the city, county, and state, they had local businesses embrace the games,” said ESTO awards emcee Sally Hogshead at the ceremony.
Visit Ventura was the only California destination in its category, among the other finalists for the Community Engagement award included Visit Austin, Visit Mesquite, and Travel South USA. Visit Ventura was one of only three California destinations that won an ESTO Destiny award this year.
The Community Engagement category was judged on how the destination marketing organization demonstrated its value to stakeholders, how local businesses and tourist attractions were supported by the tourism office, and how the tourism office collaborated with and involved smaller attractions and local businesses.
Visit Ventura worked with over 40 local businesses in a city-wide initiative creating limited beer —that was sold on Amtrak trains— and cocktails releases, food items, and other products to showcase the creativity and passion of local businesses to locals, visitors, and X Games athletes alike. Members of the Chumash tribe performed X Games’ first-ever traditional blessing in front of athletes and media, and local events brought the entire community together to celebrate the X Games.
“These two words —Community Engagement— have guided our daily drive to build economic vitality for Ventura while supporting our local businesses and celebrating a global event happening in OUR Ventura!” said Visit Ventura President and CEO Marlyss Auster. “I am so proud that the U.S. Travel Association has recognized our efforts to collaborate with our partners on the state, county, and local level to host a successful international event on our slice of the California coast playground.”
