Hey Neighbors!
Last night's forum hosted by the Boulder Creek Business Association was a great opportunity to discuss important issues facing our community. One question that came up was how a supervisor could help drive tourism into the towns of San Lorenzo Valley. As a small business owner with experience across various niches and sizes, I understand what it takes to make local businesses thrive. My answer focused on marketing - we need to make people outside the area aware of the unique experiences our towns offer.
While my opponent focused on infrastructure, I believe the key to boosting tourism lies in effective promotion. The Santa Cruz County Tourism Marketing District (SCCTMD) provides a framework for exactly this kind of initiative. According to the SCCTMD plan, funds raised through assessments on lodging businesses are specifically purposed for tourism promotion activities. These activities include public relations, advertising, website operations, social media, and other significant marketing programs aimed at bringing targeted visitors to Santa Cruz County.
The tourism industry is vital to our local economy. In 2023, visitors spent $1.4 billion in Santa Cruz County, marking a 35% increase from pre-pandemic levels - the largest such increase among California's 58 counties. This growth has supported over 10,000 jobs locally. As a supervisor, I would work to ensure that San Lorenzo Valley towns benefit from these tourism promotion efforts.
Visit Santa Cruz County (VSCC), the official destination marketing organization for the county, offers various marketing opportunities that could be leveraged to promote our area. By collaborating with VSCC and utilizing the resources provided by the Tourism Marketing District, we can highlight the unique attractions of Boulder Creek and other San Lorenzo Valley towns.
While infrastructure is important, effective marketing is crucial to attract visitors and support our local businesses. As your supervisor, I would advocate for including San Lorenzo Valley in countywide tourism promotion strategies, ensuring that our beautiful redwoods, outdoor recreation opportunities, and charming small-town atmosphere are showcased to potential visitors.
By focusing on marketing and promotion, we can increase awareness of what our area has to offer, driving tourism and supporting our local economy without relying solely on infrastructure improvements. This approach aligns with the county's existing tourism promotion framework and leverages the resources already in place to benefit our community.
Lastly, we discovered that there was a glitch in the recording, which resulted in my opening statement not being included, while my opponents' statements were. To ensure fairness, both opening statements have been removed, and the video now begins with the first question. You can watch it using the link below.
In Community, always.
Christopher
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