30 Tourism Boards Share What They're Doing Now & Future Plans

What has Visit California been doing during the pandemic?

According to Caroline Beteta, president and CEO of Visit California:

As with any major crisis, our short-term priorities have shifted from brand campaigns to communications. We’re working daily with state and local authorities and the 21,000-plus businesses in California that depend on tourism for their livelihoods. We’re ensuring they have the information they need to make smart, informed policy and business decisions.

Visit California is encouraging would-be travelers to reflect on past trips, look to the future and be grateful for all who are helping us get through this difficult crisis. This is a socially led effort; we released two videos on our social channels. The first, ‘Dream with Us,’ serves as a reminder of our state’s wonders, offering viewers a virtual escape and a moment to take pause and dream about exploring California once again. ‘Thank You for Dreaming’ expresses gratitude for the heroic front-line workers in health care, foodservice and hospitality.

We’ve also been encouraging fellow Californians to support local businesses through our California Takeout Tuesday social initiative, as well as inviting people from around the world to join the many virtual California offerings from our partners across the state – from wine tastings to educational experiences and much more.

How do you think tourism will change after this pandemic?

As always, the tourism industry will have to change to match the demands of consumers. That means meeting their evolving expectations for cleanliness and general safety while maintaining the level of enjoyment that travel has always provided.

Background:

The coronavirus pandemic has devastated California’s tourism industry, erasing 10 consecutive years of growth.

– In 2019, California saw another record-breaking year, surpassing $144.9 billion in travel-related spending, supporting 1.2 million jobs and driving $12.2 billion in state and local tax revenue. (Dean Runyan Associates)

– California is expected to lose $72.1 billion in travel spending in 2020, about half of the overall tourism economy. (Tourism Economics)

– More than half of the tourism workforce – 613,000 workers -- are expected to lose their jobs by the end of May.

What is Visit California doing to prepare to re-open the destination to tourists?

Visit California is prepared for what may be a slow, tentative and jagged recovery as the crisis subsides across our state, the nation and the world. We expect that Californians – historically driving about three-fourths of California’s travel economy – will support the state’s initial recovery by traveling within the state, shopping locally and visiting local restaurants, wineries and attractions.

When the time is right, we’ll also be focusing our efforts around promoting road trips, first to Californians and then to our western drive market, before a more national call to visit California.