San Benito County tourism, it’s good for business.
That was the message presented by the San Benito County Tourism
Committee on Wednesday morning to 50 community and county business
leaders at San Juan Oaks Golf Club.
San Benito County tourism, it’s good for business.
That was the message presented by the San Benito County Tourism Committee on Wednesday morning to 50 community and county business leaders at San Juan Oaks Golf Club.
The Tourism Committee is a sub-committee of the San Benito Chamber of Commerce and is chaired by Scott Fuller, vice president and general manager of San Juan Oaks.
County business leaders were invited to view a large-screen presentation.
Fuller presented the mission statement of the committee, which included “to boost the local tourism industry while sustaining the unique character of San Benito County.”
The early-morning attendees were given a jump-start with their coffee as they viewed a fast-moving, two-minute photo tour (one per second) of more than 100 special events and places that visitors to San Benito County would enjoy.
The colorful tour was backed by the music of “California Dreamin’,” the famous 1960s pop-culture song by the Mamas and Papas that defined a generation and California.
Using current data from the state tourism board, the important positive impacts of tourism to San Benito County’s economy were detailed.
The county currently receives $76 million in tourist spending out of the $75 billion that tourists spend annually in California.
Every dollar a tourist spends in San Benito County is multiplied 1.5 to 2.5 times in local economic growth.
The present $76 million that
visitors leave behind annually in San Benito County grows to a $114 million economic impact to the county. The money creates 1,220 local service-related jobs and $1.3 million in city and county taxes.
“San Benito County has been one of the most attractive areas for Hollywood productions and the tourism committee could find a way to promote that,” Fuller said.
He also said the committee would look into the establishment of a county film commission and plans to have a booth at the state fair in Sacramento, which is held annually in August.
The tourism committee has been meeting weekly since April to develop a plan to market the county.
A bid request to publish a San Benito County tourism magazine and Web site was completed in May and the Hollister Free Lance was selected to be the committee’s magazine and Web site publisher.
The Free Lance is part of Pacific-Sierra Publishing that operates 14 newspapers and Web sites in Northern California, which include neighboring newspapers in Gilroy, Morgan Hill, Santa Cruz, Los Banos, Merced and a chain of papers near Yosemite National Park.
Bill Barry, group publisher of the Free Lance and Gilroy and Morgan Hill newspapers, presented the plans to launch a 24-page glossy cover magazine titled San Benito County Destinations, an event and tour guide. The Web site is www.SanBenitoDestinations.com
“Our county has many great destinations and events to share with visitors,” Barry said to the gathering.
The Free Lance and its affiliated newspaper, magazine and Internet publishing group serve 14 northern California communities.
The magazine will have a fold-out, full-color glossy map in the center of the publication and will be color-keyed to show visitors how to find wine tasting, farm and produce locations, chocolate manufacturing and numerous other area attractions, including hiking and biking trails and more.
All major events throughout the county and year will be included in the publication.
“We are enthused to publish the San Benito County Destinations Magazine and Web site to promote tourism for our community,” Barry said.
The magazine will be publish twice yearly and more than 100,000 copies a year will be distributed. The fall and winter issue will be released this September and the spring and summer publication will be published in March.
Distribution will include targeted high-traffic tourism locations such as hotels in Monterey, south Santa Clara County, San Jose Airport, RV parks in neighboring counties and in locations around Yosemite, as well as any place that will provide a good return on inviting visitors to San Benito County.
The Web site will be a significant factor in the marketing effort and will be linked to all of Sierra-Pacific’s 14 newspaper Web sites as well as the state of California official tourism Web site.
All magazine content and advertising will also be published on the Web site and vice versa.
“The Web site will also be advertised in all 14 of our newspapers,” Barry said.
Many leaders in attendance expressed their support.
“We have the best-kept secrets in the world,” said Ted Thoeny, San Juan Bautista resident and owner of Discovery Travel/Affordable Adventures.
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President Robert Ornelas, who attended Wednesday’s meeting, said the local tourism industry “needs an additional boost.”
Other committee members include: Theresa Kiernan, Dorothy McNett, Liz Kresky, Larry Brewster, Frank L’eal, Susan Marsh, Brad VanDam, Terry Marburger, Cilly Fisher, Pepe Espinoza, Susan Brady, Mildred Freeborn, John Chadwell and Ornelas.
The second, and final, of the two breakfast meetings will be held Aug. 14 at the Veterans Memorial Building at 7:30 a.m. For more information call the Chamber at 637-5315.
