The Community Foundation for San Benito County has awarded a $10,000 grant to Visit San Benito County to support its mission to draw more visitors to the county. The grant will be used to form a Tourism Improvement District (TID) for San Benito County.
The TID will fund marketing and development efforts to attract visitors to the county. Local businesses in the City of Hollister, the City of San Juan Bautista and the unincorporated County of San Benito are expected to benefit if more visitors are drawn in through promotional activities. According to one study, for every dollar raised by a TID, there is a $70 return for the economy.
President Irene Davis says, “Tourism Improvement Districts are essential for promoting the interests of all businesses in the county, and creating revenue that can be used to support the local businesses that make our community so unique. We believe tourism has an important role to play in preserving the San Benito way of life, and we are so grateful for the Community Foundation for their generosity and willingness to support tourism in San Benito County.”
The project will be guided by Civitas, a California consultancy that specializes in supporting regions to develop unique tourism and travel promotion strategies. Civitas has formed and renewed over 200 Tourism Improvement Districts across the US and internationally.
