Local business leaders are researching creating a visitor’s
bureau in an attempt to capitalize on the natural resources that
have the potential to bring tourists, and more important, their
money into San Benito County.
San Benito County – Local business leaders are researching creating a visitor’s bureau in an attempt to capitalize on the natural resources that have the potential to bring tourists, and more important, their money into San Benito County.
The San Benito Chamber of Commerce, its tourism committee, the San Juan Bautista Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce are analyzing visitor’s bureaus within similarly-sized communities, how they work, how they’re funded and how much good they do for the community, said Scott Fuller, a member of the tourism committee and general manager of San Juan Oaks.
All three chambers are trying to draw more tourists, but Fuller believes there needs to be a separate organization with an objective solely centered on tourism.
“To attract more tourism we need to really focus the effort,” Fuller said. “We’ve been working on it, but the chamber has a lot of other things to do… The chamber cannot take the place of a visitor’s bureau, whose real mission is to attract visitors and tourism.”
A tourism push would help boost the local economy by generating more revenue for hotels, retail establishments, restaurants and wineries, Fuller said.
Working with local government would be a key component to starting a visitor’s bureau, but Fuller said it is unknown at this time whether government funding will be needed.
Many visitor’s bureaus in similarly-sized communities are partially funded by local governments because they help bring people in, increasing sales tax revenue, which then filters back into government coffers.
“Whether we ask for funding or not, coordinating with local governments is important for setting the right tone for tourism to happen,” he said.
A visitor’s bureau would be a valuable asset to the community on a whole by giving a central focal point for people seeking information on things to do in San Benito, said Supervisor Reb Monaco.
While the idea still needs to be fleshed out, especially concerning funding, he supports it and said he thinks the Board of Supervisors ultimately would also.
“It’s revenue-generating,” he said. “But the county could not be responsible for funding the whole thing.”
Hollister City Councilman Tony LoBue also supports the idea of a visitor’s bureau, but said at this time he doesn’t foresee the city being able to fund it.
“Any way to promote tourism is a good way to go,” he said. “But at this point, it would be extremely difficult for our city to find a way to budget in for that.”
Members of all the groups involved are still deciphering what a visitor’s bureau would add to the county, how to staff it and how advertising and tourist campaigns would be handled, Fuller said.
Halina Kleinsmith, executive director of the San Juan Bautista Chamber of Commerce, would not comment on the idea because it’s “in its infancy.”
A need for a more focused push on tourism has developed over the past several years, and if a visitor’s bureau is pursued the community will need to get behind it, Fuller said.
Before that happens, the group will have to define for the community why they should support it and what good it can do, he said.
“We need to show the community the potential sources of revenue, and how we would measure success,” he said. “One of the most important things is that to seek funding and support from the community, we’d have to show how we’d measure results.”
Staff Writer Erin Musgrave covers business and public safety. She can be reached at 637-5566, ext. 336, or [email protected].
