California Tourism

California tourism provides hundreds of thousands of jobs, employing youth and adults in California and helping provide a strong economic base.  Many cities in California fund tourism efforts through tax dollars collected in TOT or Transit Occupancy Tax which is charged as a special tax to those staying in local hotels.  Another popular form of funding for California Tourism currently is the BID or Business Improvement District.

Forming a BID or special district with business owners paying extra fees per agreement of  the majority of  members allows groups to advertise, create print collateral, hire marketing professionals and sponsor special events to drive traffic to their destinations and regions.

While many destinations are promoted through a membership chamber of commerce, some spin-off tourism departments or nonprofit entities are created to do only one thing--sell beds, sell merchandise, brand and market communities, resorts, hotels and entities.

Creative funding of these entities called convention and visitor bureaus (CVB) or visitor and convention bureau (VCB) helps grow a destination to a state, nation and world.  Cities such as San Diego hire a large work force to promote San Diego.  The region is so vast and resources so great that a North San Diego County convention and visitors bureau exists to promote the efforts of its very own region, even though the San Diego bureau does so that, too.

California Tourism will continue to grow as a desired soft industry and many of the jobs that were classified under other categories will be re-classified to tourism as recognition of the travel dollar impacts are realized even greater.