April 17, 2025
IN THIS ISSUE…
- Santa Cruz County Hotels, Restaurants, Attractions, and Local Businesses Represented in the UK, Copenhagen, and Across Europe
- Visit Santa Cruz County Attends 2025 Outlook Forum
- Murray Street Bridge Update
Santa Cruz County Hotels, Restaurants, Attractions, and Local Businesses Represented in the UK, Copenhagen, and Across Europe
This spring, Santa Cruz County’s tourism sector was represented across Europe, the U.K. and Denmark when Christina Glynn, Director of Communications and Flavia Oliveira, Director of Travel Trade and Sales joined a delegation from California to meet with journalists, influencers, tour operators and travel agents in Germany, France and the U.K. to share destination information with representatives from these markets. This multi-day inaugural trade and media mission included new opportunities to connect with key international markets and a bonus opportunity with Club California Nordics.
The California delegation included 25 travel trade and 10 public relations representatives from desert, mountain and beach areas, gateway cities and hotels and attractions from throughout the state. Travel trade and media events were held in Frankfurt, London and Paris over a span of seven days. Activities throughout the mission were tailored to both travel trade and media tracks and included delegate presentations, market round tables, networking opportunities, Visit California Ultimate Playground activations, market development and trends sessions, product manager meetings, a DEI education session, and one-on-one meetings with tour operators and media representatives. The media track featured a visit to Prisma Media Group in Paris, publishers of National Geographic, Harper’s Bazaar, Milk Magazine, Femme Actuelle, Prima, Cuisine Actuelle, Télé Loisirs, The Good Life and other outlets.
Following the mission, Flavia and Christina traveled to Copenhagen where Visit California’s Nordic office hosted a Club California event. Six destinations and organizations had the opportunity to present destination information in person to tour operators and Visit California staff. The event targeted the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland, utilizing Visit California’s in-market resources to reach industry representatives. In addition to Santa Cruz County, Yosemite Mariposa County, the San Diego Tourism Authority, See Monterey, the California Wine Institute and SommWine participated in Club California Nordics.
Previous Club California events in which VSCC participated include Australia, India, South Korea and Japan – although these were conducted remotely. This event allowed personal meetings and networking opportunities with agents and media, focusing on how Santa Cruz County plays a critical role in the depth and diversity of the state, and leveraged excitement around Visit California’s Ultimate Playground campaign.
Visit Santa Cruz County Attends 2025 Outlook Forum
Outlook Forum Conference March 3 -5, 2025. This annual state-of-the-tourism industry meeting is an opportunity for the state tourism board to share with DMOs and major attractions from throughout California plans for the coming year and assess current programs and initiatives. Flavia Oliveira, Director of Travel Trade and Sales, Denise Harris, Director of Operations, and Terence Concannon, CEO of Visit Santa Cruz County, were all in attendance. Central to Outlook Forum were market reports from Visit California’s 13 international offices, the premiere of “Up Around the Bend” – the latest commercial in the state’s Ultimate Playground campaign focusing on road trips – which debuted during the 2025 Academy Awards ceremony – and preliminary results of its draft Regional Strategic Tourism Plan, a comprehensive initiative designed to help businesses and communities navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and build long-term resilience.
Visit California reported that the state saw $156 billion in visitor spending in 2024, with international visitors contributing 18 percent of the overall spend. Statewide occupancy at 67 percent – more than the national average. Key takeaways from Outlook Forum included data from the international markets, with keen interest on Canada and Europe. International visitor spending in California accounts for 18 percent of travel spending and is critical to the overall health of the tourism industry, as these visitors travel during the off-season and stay longer than domestic visitors. Overall, international visitors are seeking authentic, only-in-California experiences with value-added opportunities. Immersive cultural experiences, soft luxury, sustainability, and Instagrammable moments are also key resonators for most international markets.
Murray Street Bridge Update
Beginning last month, the City of Santa Cruz embarked on a $50 million construction project to retrofit the Murray Street Bridge, connecting Seabright to the Santa Cruz Harbor. The project is expected to be completed by January 2028. The westbound lane of the bridge is closed for vehicles and bicycles and will remain closed until the project is completed. However, the eastbound lane will remain open for vehicles and bicycles, and two-way pedestrian access across the bridge will remain open and accessible. Visit Santa Cruz County is supporting local businesses that may be affected by the road closures throughout the lifespan of the project and will be providing information in the monthly Tourism Industry Update as news emerges.
Autism Landing Page Debuts!
Celebrating Autism Awareness Month, Visit Santa Cruz County has dedicated real estate on the SantaCruz.org website to autism travel. This new landing page is the first step toward this important initiative welcoming travelers with autism and their families and will include more information in the coming months. This news coincides with the City of Scotts Valley’s announcement that City staff have completed the necessary training to earn a certification as an Autism Certified Center.
Support Visit California Funding
Every six years, the industry considers whether to continue to fund Visit California’s domestic and global marketing programs that power the state’s travel industry. Supporting the renewal of this work will continue to deliver billions of dollars of new visitor spending to hotels, rental cars, restaurants, attractions, retailers and thousands of other businesses in every community across the state. In 2019, the California tourism industry approved the renewal with 95 percent of votes in favor: the highest approval rating since Visit California’s inception, even among the largest pool of voting stakeholders to date. Click here to support Visit California’s referendum renewal and stay updated on this critical process.
2025/2026 Santa Cruz County Visitor Magazine Available
Do you need more of VSCC’s visitor magazine for your hotel or business? This 92-page official visitor magazine is an upscale lifestyle-driven publication illustrating the unique culture of the area that sets our region apart from other coastal California destinations. Boxes of the magazine is available to pick up from VSCC’s year-around visitor center at 303 Water Street and are free to local hotels, restaurants, attractions and businesses. Each box contains 30 copies of the magazine. Please email Denise Harris, Director of Operations for more information.
Partner Kudos!
Congratulations to Dan Smart, who has accepted the position of Hotel Manager with the La Bahia Hotel + Spa, departing the Dream Inn Santa Cruz after more than a decade. Dan also recently was honored by the Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce as the first person to be named Chamber Champion, an award which recognizes his outstanding contributions to fostering business growth, community engagement, and leadership within the local economy. The Asian American Hotel Owners Association has named Bijal Patel, CEO of Coast Redwood Hospitality and VSCC board member one of the 2025 HYPE (Helping Young Professionals Evolve) 35 under 35 award winners at the AAHOA Convention & Trade Show this week in New Orleans. Bonnie Lipscomb, Director of Economic Development and Housing has been appointed Deputy City Manager at the City of Santa Cruz. Kudos Bonnie!
Did you know?
“Townsizing” is the new trend! According to Priceline’s 2025 Travel Trends Report, Gen Z travelers are 89 percent more likely than average travelers to seek out a vacation offering a small-town “Nancy Meyers lifestyle” vibe. Gen Z travelers (born between 1997 and 2012) are choosing to skip big-city experiences in favor of small-town getaways, offering a more relaxing, comfortable and nature-focused escape. They are inspired by “a desire for down-to-earth realism,” with 67 percent of Gen Z vacationers more likely to see trips as a chance to “live out their small-town fantasies.”
Lower Seabright Avenue businesses will be featured in a new VSCC blog entitled Beachside Bliss: Seabright. The blog will include Tramonti, La Posta, Betty’s Burgers, Aldo’s at the Harbor, Seabright Deli, Seabreeze Cafe, Seabright Social, Brady’s Yacht Club, Verve Coffee Roasters, Java Junction, Seabright Beach, Walton Lighthouse, Santa Cruz Harbor, Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, Ocean View Park, NHS Skate Museum, Frederick Street Park, Hotel Solares and Hyatt Place Santa Cruz.
Other businesses in the Seabright area are featured in nearly a dozen blog stories in digital ads.
The VSCC year-round visitor center will utilize the Murray Street Bridge Lane Closure Map when fielding requests for directions and recommending Seabright and Harbor area businesses.