Tourist spending in SLO county increases to 1.5 billion in 2014
Visit San Luis Obispo County to celebrate economic benefits of tourism on May 8 at 2 p.m.
Visit San Luis Obispo County will celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week on Friday, May 8 to recognize the local and national impact of tourism, a $1.5 billion industry in San Luis Obispo County.
Tourism partners and elected officials will come together at the SeaVenture Beach Hotel in Pismo Beach at 2 p.m. for a photo opportunity to commemorate the industry with a special hand-crafted beach mural designed specifically for the event.
Tourism has been growing at a 3.3% rate year after year. Industry earnings generated by travel and tourism spending reached its highest number yet, at $470 million, in 2014. Jobs also increased at 2.7% over 2013 and total tourism-related jobs in San Luis Obispo County has reached an all-time high of 17,160 persons employed, making up approximately 10.5% of total employment in the county. Positions include: divisions of accommodations, food service, arts, entertainment, recreation, retail, and transportation. Local and state tax receipts totaled $125 million in revenue generated by travel spending, reflecting an 8% and 2.9% increase over 2013 respectively. San Luis Obispo County has also recorded an approximate 9% average increase in Transient Occupancy Tax for the 2013/14 fiscal year.
“Although the numbers are impressive, San Luis Obispo County still has room to improve as compared to its destination competitors,” said President & CEO of Visit San Luis Obispo County Chuck Davison. “The goal of the Tourism Marketing District (TMD), in front of the Board of Supervisors for a final vote on June 10, is to create a unified brand embracing the unique lodging mix with the goal of increasing the average length of stay and overall average daily rates which supports local business in San Luis Obispo County.”
“This year, we decided to adjust the timing of our annual Tourism Vision Workshop to coincide with National Travel & Tourism Week.” said Davison. “We feel it’s important to show our support and help educate our industry about the benefits of tourism in our region. Not only can our partners learn about this powerful economic driver, but they can take a moment to really celebrate how much tourism has done for us all.”
Visit San Luis Obispo County’s 2015 Tourism Vision Workshop, to be held the morning of May 8, 2015, will highlight upcoming programs and initiatives for the area and include special presentations by President and CEO of Visit California Caroline Beteta, and Chairman and CEO of Kampgrounds of America (KOA) Jim Rogers.
A special award presentation will take place honoring Pismo Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau Executive Director Suzen Brasile, with the Tourism Ambassador Award. Following the workshop, tourism professionals will gather to raise a glass to tourism at the SeaVenture Beach Hotel in Pismo Beach at 2 p.m.
Visit San Luis Obispo County in partnership with Sunset Magazine will present Sunset SAVOR the Central Coast, September 24-27, 2015. This annual event attracts over 10,000 attendees.
Nationally, travel and tourism generates $2.1 trillion in economic output for the U.S. economy. The industry also represents one of America’s largest employers, supporting more than 15 million jobs with 8 million direct tourism jobs and 7 million indirect induced jobs. Direct spending by domestic and international travelers in the U.S. was $927.9 billion in 2014, averaging $2.5 billion a day, $105.8 million an hour, $1.8 million a minute, and $29,398 a second.
For more information, call (805) 541-8000 or go to visitsanluisobispocounty.com.
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