The success of the San Benito County Tourism Committee was
apparent as more than 50 businesses were represented at a special
presentation Thursday morning at the Veterans Memorial
Building.
”
I think the breakfast went very well,
”
said Theresa Kiernan, executive director of the San Benito
County Chamber of Commerce.
”
The word has definitely begun to spread, so we’re seeing more
faces.
”
The success of the San Benito County Tourism Committee was apparent as more than 50 businesses were represented at a special presentation Thursday morning at the Veterans Memorial Building.
“I think the breakfast went very well,” said Theresa Kiernan, executive director of the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce. “The word has definitely begun to spread, so we’re seeing more faces.”
Kiernan said the growing number of businesses interested in the tourism committee’s efforts included merchants and business owners from San Juan Bautista, Tres Pinos and all over the county.
“We wanted to talk to as many people as we could face-to-face,” Kiernan said.
The tourism committee is a sub-committee of the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce and is chaired by Scott Fuller, vice president and general manager of San Juan Oaks.
The committee’s mission includes boosting the local tourism industry while sustaining the unique character of San Benito County.
The newly renovated Veterans Memorial Building was the site of Thursday’s breakfast meeting, which invited businesses in to review strategies that could help improve the economy of San Benito County through tourism.
The meeting was the second of two planned presentations to promote the launching of San Benito County Destinations, a magazine and web site to promote local tourism.
The tourism committee selected the Hollister Free Lance to publish the magazine and web site. Publisher Bill Barry said the magazine has already exceeded the anticipated length of 24 pages.
“It should be around 36 pages long,” Barry said.
The effect of tourism on the local economy is unmistakable.
The county currently receives $76 million in tourist spending, which is a small part of the $75 billion in cash that tourists spend statewide every year.
Every dollar a tourist spends in San Benito County is multiplied as much as 2.5 times in local economic growth. The present $76 million visitors spend in San Benito County every year has the same economic effect on the county as $114 million. That money creates an estimated 1,220 local service-related jobs and $1.3 million in local taxes.
“If we could increase tourism by 1 percent, that would mean $1 million more for local businesses,” Barry said.
– E-mail Jed Logan at jl****@fr***********.com
