Tourism Industry Update

October 10, 2024

IN THIS ISSUE…

Fall 2024 Travel Trends

Davenport Highway 1

VSCC vendor Love Communications released its Travel Sentiment Report in September, outlining some key trends it is predicting for the coming months. The economy, consumer preference with regard to travel, pet-friendly getaways and other touchpoints are highlighted in the report. Paralleling Love’s findings, Skift also debuted its State of Travel Report last month with some interesting findings.  

With inflation dropping to its lowest level since March 2021, prices for some household staples are rising slower than overall inflation – affecting discretionary income. However, only 12 percent of survey respondents don’t plan on traveling this fall, with Millennials being the most likely age group to travel in the coming months. According to Skift, other trends include a rise in experiential travel, and a greater preference in direct bookings versus the use of OTA’s driven by factors like better prices, exclusive deals, and more control and reliable customer service. At the same time, the role of social media is changing, as consumers are not only employing platforms for inspiration but for actual travel bookings. Skift’s data shows that 34 percent of travelers feel very comfortable booking directly through social platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube – particularly younger travelers. Consumers are also increasingly more comfortable with booking high-priced services, such as flights and hotels, through social media platforms, reflecting a growing trust in these channels as viable booking options. 

Looking to inbound overseas travel, visa wait times have now become a priority for the U.S. travel industry, especially as the country looks to host major events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup. During the Skift Global Forum in mid-September in New York City, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma said the State Department has largely been able to get visa wait times back to pre-pandemic levels as it grapples with record levels of demand. However, Verma said that the department is still working to reduce wait times for first-time visa applications from countries like Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and India. 

Key Influencer Visits Santa Cruz County

Supporting Visit California’s efforts to elevate the Ultimate Playground campaign, VSCC hosted Australian social media influencer Greta Gercovich of @the_gretaway, in late September. Following a Visit California’s Global Influencer Advisory Board (GIAB) members meeting in Ventura County, a couple of the international members embarked on press trips around the state. 

Together with Monterey County and San Jose, Santa Cruz County was featured on her itinerary, packaged as a sisters’ getaway/road trip, as Greta’s sister Celia – who is a lifestyle influencer in her own right – joined her on her visit. The sisters enjoy a combined reach of over 2.2 million followers on Instagram and Tik Tok. Celia posted a roundup of some of the adventures in which she participated while in market, as did Greta. 

VSCC carefully crafted a variety of experiences for Greta and Celia, including surfing lessons in Capitola Village with Richard Schmidt, a tasting and tour at Storrs Winery in Corralitos, the Sequoia Aerial Adventure at Mount Hermon Conference Center, a walkabout in Downtown Santa Cruz, exploring the beach area in Santa Cruz, and stopping by Aptos Village for a look-see and a bite to eat at Mentone – among other places. The sisters stayed at the Capitola Hotel during their visit. 

Deliverables for the duration of Greta’s trip (split between Monterey, Santa Cruz County, and San Jose) included: a minimum of 3 TikTok videos, each highlighting a different California destination; a minimum of 3 Instagram Reels; a minimum of 3 Instagram Story frames per day throughout the duration of the trip saved to a dedicated highlight, and potentially a California Now feature highlighting trip, to live on visitcalifornia.com and be completed by the Visit California team. 

VSCC’s social media team began following Greta and Celia prior to their visit and watched their channels closely for any content that was tagged and shareable, boosting followers to our own platforms. 

Interested in hosting an influencer at your property, restaurant, attraction or business? Email us and let us know! 

Santa Cruz County Hotels and Conference Venues Represented at Three Key Conferences

Aiming at building relationships with meeting planners, VSCC attended key conferences over the last two months to maintain connections within the meeting and conference space. VSCC participated in the HPN Global Annual Partner Conference, a new event which emphasized networking opportunities between attendees and suppliers. The conference was held in Houston September 16 – 19, and brought together meeting planners, hotels, and DMO’s. Combined with Connect Marketplace and Destination California – hosted by NorthStar Meetings Group, these three tradeshows paired handpicked buyers and suppliers to support this critical sector of the tourism industry. 

Flavia Oliveira, VSCC’s Director of Sales and Travel Trade and Kelly Japinga, Sales Manager with the Chaminade Resort & Spa attended HPN, where 75 associates connected with suppliers. Over the course of three days, attendees from across the hospitality and events industries gathered for sessions and networking, including receptions sponsored by Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Loews, and Omni Hotels. In January 2023, VSCC and representatives from four local hotels visited the HPN Global offices in Scottsdale, Arizona to familiarize associates with Santa Cruz County lodging and conference venues and activities.  

In August, Flavia attended Connect Marketplace, the largest meetings trade show in the U.S.  Held in Milwaukee, this event is designed for corporate event planners and typically features over 2,000 attendees with five separate tracks, enabling destinations to connect with highly vetted planners.  Flavia participated in two sessions of  one-on-one appointments to discuss Santa Cruz County event space, conference facilities, and creative teambuilding opportunities.  

Finally, Flavia hosted 22 one-on-one appointments with meeting planners that have active RFPs seeking California destinations for their programs at Destination California: hosted by NorthStar Meetings Group. Approximately 120 suppliers and planners gathered at the Pasea Hotel in Huntington Beach sponsored in part by Visit California, which showed a strong presence for the Golden State. 

Ann Ostermann, Champion of the Arts and Former VSCC Board Member Retires 

Ann Ostermann, Open Studios and Events Manager at Arts Council Santa Cruz County is retiring after two decades at the organization. Throughout her tenure, Ann has provided a valuable platform where artists of all mediums could elevate their presence to new audiences through the annual Open Studios Art Tour.  A signature event and one that was embraced by the local community, Open Studios attracted critical post-summer season visitors to the region. In addition to her tenure with the Arts Council, Ann spent 14 years working in high tech and 12 years as a Girl Scout leader. She formerly served on the VSCC board of directors representing the art community. 

Promoting the Meetings Market 

Visit Santa Cruz County is featured on Visit California’s newly-launched MeetWhatsPossible.com microsite, developed to support the state’s Professional Meetings and Events initiative. The website features 55 California destinations, linking to each individual meeting site. Meeting planners will be driven to the Visit California branded website through media placements and engagement at trade shows and events.  

Partner Kudos!   

Congratulations to VSCC board member and CEO of Shared Adventures Foster Anderson, who was selected as the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation’s 2024 Sea Star in the Business, Recreation & Tourism category! Foster heads up the organization’s “Day on the Beach” program, a free, annual event that allows special needs individuals to engage in ocean activities like kayaking, SCUBA diving, outrigger canoeing, and beach chair ocean rides/flotation experiences. Day on the Beach enables people who might otherwise lack access to ocean interaction to experience the Monterey Bay.  

Arrivals and Departures 

Welcome to Sky Dominguez, who is the new general manager at the Four Points Sheraton Scotts Valley. On the westside, Brendan Shelton has been named the new general manager at the Fairfield Inn Santa Cruz. And Terry Azevedo is the interim director of sales at the Hilton Santa Cruz Scotts Valley!  

Did you know?

VSCC can offer surgical and N95 facemasks and a limited supply of hand sanitizer this season to lodging properties and local businesses. Please contact us if you need any of these items for your staff or guests.