JANUARY 14, 2025
IN THIS ISSUE…
- VSCC Announces Newly Enhanced Website
- Input Needed on 5-Year Roadmap for West Cliff Drive
- Local Lodging Industry Represented at CalSAE
VSCC Announces Newly Enhanced Website
As the U.S. Travel Association’s National Plan for Vacation Day approaches, Visit Santa Cruz County (VSCC) announces the launch of a new website design, incorporating enhanced functionality and leveraging four portions of the site that garner the most traffic overall on the homepage. National Plan for Vacation Day, celebrated on the last Tuesday of January, is a day to encourage Americans to plan their time off for the whole year at the start of the year—and inspire them to use those days to explore the country.
With the VSCC blog content generating approximately 50 percent of the traffic to the site, three blog stories are featured on a seasonal basis on the homepage. A scrollable photo-centric carousel featuring upcoming events highlights one of the more popular portions of the website. To provide orientation, a redesigned countywide map with featured destinations within Santa Cruz County clicks through to designated landing pages devoted to Scotts Valley, Davenport, Capitola, Santa Cruz, Watsonville and the Pajaro Valley, Soquel, Pleasure Point, Corralitos, Aptos and the mountain towns of Boulder Creek, Felton, Brookdale, Bonny Doon and Ben Lomond. Finally, elevating the visibility of VSCC’s Instagram platform, two dozen of the latest posts showcase the beauty of the county through bite-sized, aspirational photos and videos.
Santacruz.org enables visitors to explore places to stay in Santa Cruz County and book a hotel, bed and breakfast inn or vacation rental directly with properties, search for activities and events, and find places to eat, enjoy coffee and sweets, and sample local beer and wine. Blog stories illustrate each themed landing page, linking the visitor to more detailed information about restaurants, activities, and more – as well as the ability to search for events or attractions by date, type, or region.
The navigation has been divided into two categories for both consumers and businesses with refined and created new layouts for the Spotlight Featured Business program and free online listings for local businesses.
To maximize its presence on the internet, VSCC optimized the website for better search engine optimization (SEO), improving the ranking of the site in search engine results. VSCC is extending its adventure-seeking Find Your Awe™ brand as it employs a less literal creative suite of images and video, embracing a more emotive esthetic. These cost-effective methods allow VSCC to reach repeat as well as new visitors to Santa Cruz County in an informal and savvy way, on trend with other DMOs.
According to a recent survey, nearly 8 in 10 (78%) Americans always or frequently research and book at least some portion of their trips online.
Input Needed on 5-Year Roadmap for West Cliff Drive
The City of Santa Cruz is asking for community input on the draft 5-year Roadmap for West Cliff. Released in late December, the draft provides a clear path for near-term resilience efforts and project implementation of the 50-year Community Vision for West Cliff, completed and made available earlier in 2024. The city of accepting feedback from the public until Sunday, January 26th.
This community feedback will help shape the final version of the roadmap that will be presented to the City Council in early 2025.
- View the draft 5-year Roadmap: Click Here
- Quick Guide to the Roadmap: Click Here
- Submit your feedback: Provide Feedback Here
Background: The 50-Year Community Vision for West Cliff
Earlier this year, the City of Santa Cruz concluded a year-long effort to develop the 50-year Community Vision for West Cliff. This visionary document provides a comprehensive framework to address long-term challenges such as climate change, coastal erosion, and infrastructure resilience.
The 5-year Roadmap bridges the gap between this aspirational vision and practical, near-term steps, ensuring that West Cliff’s unique character and natural beauty are preserved for future generations.
For more information, please visit ww.cityofsantacruz.com/westcliff
Local Lodging Industry Represented at CalSAE
One of the meeting industry’s most premiere trade shows, CalSAE’s Seasonal Spectacular was held in Sacramento December 4th – 5th. Flavia Oliveira, VSCC’s Director of Sales and Travel Trade represented Santa Cruz County at this two-day annual expansive trade show along with sales representatives from four local hotels. CalSAE (California Society of Association Executives) offers educational sessions, workshops and networking opportunities with conference planners and is one of the signature events that take place for the meetings market.
Flavia was accompanied at the show by Anna Borrego, Group Sales Manager from the Hilton Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley, Anna Lawless, Corporate Group Sales Manager from Hotel Paradox, Autograph Collection by Marriott,
Bridgette Quartararo, Director of Sales from Seacliff Inn, Tapestry Collection by Hilton and Michele Busenhart, Sales Manager from Chaminade Resort & Spa. Information about Santa Cruz County meeting and event venues and teambuilding and activity ideas was provided to meeting planners and representatives from association-related groups. Santa Cruz County offers enhanced offsite experiences and opportunities to connect with nature for meeting and conference attendees, primarily in Sacramento and northern California. This environment lies in stark contrast to the expansive campuses of larger companies and provides meaningful retreat experiences due to the area’s natural beauty, state parks and beaches and creative venues like rural wineries and museums: unique elements planners seek when considering an offsite meeting.
Some of the educational workshop topics this year included navigating board and staff relationships, event design, crisis management, inclusion, artificial intelligence, and membership growth.
Los Angeles Fire Relief
Amplifying the unity and generosity of the travel and tourism industry, Los Angeles Tourism has established The LA Wildfire Recovery Fund, benefiting the American Red Cross which has been providing essential support to those affected by the wildfires in Southern California, including safe shelter, meals, emotional support and other critical services. Visit California’s Travel Alert page is continually being updated with links to local resources, including relief accommodations, road closures and messages from local authorities.
Climate Adaptation Draft Report Now Available for Public Comment
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) had released the Draft Climate Adaptation Vulnerability Assessment and Priorities (CAVA) Report for public review and comment. The RTC, the County of Santa Cruz Department of Community Development & Infrastructure and the Santa Cruz County Office of Response, Recovery & Resiliency partnered to develop the CAVA Report for unincorporated Santa Cruz County maintained roads and the entirety of the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line (SCBRL). The Report identifies transportation infrastructure assets such as roads, bridges, and trails in the county that will be most impacted by climate hazards, the timing of those impacts, and the consequences of those impacts on the transportation network. Comments and feedback of the Draft CAVA report are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, January 17th. and can be made by sending an email to info@sccrtc.org with “CAVA” in the subject line.
New Year, New Law
The California Hotel & Lodging Association will host a webinar on Tuesday, January 21st from 11:30AM to 12:30PM addressing new laws taking effect in 2025. Topics include California’s statewide minimum wage which will increase to $16.50 per hour for all employers, regardless of size, discrimination, disability compensation, and more.
Arrivals and Departures
Happy wishes and gratitude to former VSCC board member and Fifth District Supervisor Bruce McPherson, who is retiring after serving as a Santa Cruz County Supervisor for 12 years and a quarter century as an elected official. Lookout Local published an interview with Bruce, which touched on the McPherson legacy of public affairs for close to 160 years total. Congratulations to newly elected 5th District Supervisor Monica Martinez, who was sworn into office on January 6th. Yvette Lopez Brooks, Mayor of the City of Capitola has accepted the role of CEO of United Way of Santa Cruz County and is stepping down from her position on the city council. Farewell Zeke Fraser, CEO and Santa Cruz County Fair Manager who will depart from his position on February 2nd.
Did you know?
Hotel Paradox, Autograph Collection by Marriott is hosting a free event to support local businesses who aim to foster a more inclusive environment with regard to the LBGTQ+ community. Taking place on Thursday, January 16th from 9:00 a.m. to11:00 a.m., Elevating LGBTQ+ Inclusion: Increasing Revenue, Retention & Respect will address the tangible benefits of diversity, focusing on how inclusive workplaces not only enhance employee satisfaction and retention but also increase revenue by tapping into broader markets – including a keynote on “The 3 R’s: Revenue, Retention, and Respect.” Attendees will learn practical strategies for building LGBTQ+ inclusive workplaces and marketing efforts and will leave with actionable steps and access to local resources. Register here!