Tourism Industry Update

September 11, 2025

IN THIS ISSUE…

• Santa Cruz County Virtually Represented in Australia Market
• Film and Television Tax Credit Program Increases
• Meetings and Conferences Marketing Update

Santa Cruz County Virtually Represented in Australia Market

Fostering the emerging Australia market and continuing to grow and make connections with travel trade representatives, Flavia Oliveira, Director of Sales and Travel Trade participated in the most recent Club California event, Down Under.  

Club California, a Visit California program is designed around virtual worldwide receptions in key markets abroad to inform and educate tour operators about destinations within the state which most closely align with the assets and experiences travelers in those countries seek out. Over the last four years, Visit Santa Cruz County has expanded its previous reach in the UK, Germany, Canada, Japan and other markets based on how research shows the viability of select emerging international markets and how those markets have facilitated new routes into San Jose Mineta International Airport and other bay area airports. 

As with previous Club California events, the objective was to educate agents on the depth and diversity of Santa Cruz County, leveraging how the region is perfectly matched with Visit California’s Ultimate Playground campaign. 

This is the second Club California Australia event in which VSCC participated. Previous Club California events where Santa Cruz County was represented include India, South Korea and Japan. An in-person Club California event was held in Copenhagen in April 2025, following Visit California’s Pan-Euro Trade and Media Mission in Germany, France and the UK. This event included travel trade representatives and media outlets from the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. 

Film and Television Tax Credit Program Increases

In an historic move, Governor Gavin Newsom has expanded the state’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program by $180 million annually, raising the total cap to a record $1.8 billion over the next decade. The announcement came alongside news of 16 new productions that have committed to filming in California under the program, collectively expected to generate more than 10,000 jobs and an estimated $800 million in direct spending in the state. Visit Santa Cruz County works to promote Santa Cruz County as a film destination through the Santa Cruz County Film Commission, a department within VSCC. 

This is the largest increase to this program since its inception in 2009. Assembly Bill 1138 was designed to retain and grow jobs, support small businesses and reestablish California’s competitive edge in the global entertainment market.  In recent years, California has lost business to other domestic and worldwide destinations which offer financial incentives to lure productions outside California. Tax incentives combined with lower costs and the absence of industry strikes have contributed to the state’s weakening entertainment production industry.  

California placed sixth among regions where productions are set for the 2025-2026 filming season, followed by Georgia, New Jersey and New York. The most preferred international locations are Toronto, the United Kingdom, Vancouver, Central Europe and Australia – areas that offer the most production subsidies. Australia, for example, offers to pay up to 40 percent of expenses for big-budget productions, while Canada pays roughly 36 percent, outpacing the subsidies that are offered in the United States. 

Meetings and Conferences Marketing Update

Visit Santa Cruz County continues to support Visit California’s “Meet What’s Possible” initiative to inspire and re-engage professional meeting and conference planners, providing an additional revenue stream during softer leisure travel months. Originally launched in fall 2021, this push to strengthen relationships with planners was born out of the meetings industry to find a way to promote meetings and conferences in a safe and productive way. Since July, Santa Cruz County has been represented by Flavia Oliveira, Director of Sales and Travel Trade at five industry conferences where engagement with meeting planners has been the primary focus.  

In July, Flavia attended CONFAB for Planners was held in San Francisco. This trade show brings together qualified meeting planners and suppliers in an appointment-based setting. Networking and professional development opportunities were also provided.  

SITE for the Senses on August 1^st was hosted by SITE NorCal at the Chaminade Resort + Spa. Partnering with the Society for Sustainable Events, a session focusing on responsible travel and environmental stewardship was a highlight of the conference, followed by a group beach a clean-up. Visit Santa Cruz County sponsored the event and enjoyed elevated exposure at the event. Flavia also participated in the SITE SoCal All-Industry Cruise on August 7^th in San Diego, a parallel event for meeting planners in southern California. The attendees stretched across the meetings, incentives, conferences, and events (MICE) sectors of the industry. On the same day, California DMO Alliance hosted a 3^rd annual lunch for San Diego-based planners. Twenty destinations from throughout the state entertained attendees with fun facts and trivia from the delegation in order to increase destination knowledge and awareness.  

The Professional Conference Management Association’s (PCMA) Northern California Day on the Bay on August 13^th brought together meeting and event professionals from across northern California for an afternoon on the San Francisco Bay. Hosted aboard a chartered yacht, the program blended community, conversation, and collaboration. Over the years, Day on the Bay has become a signature event for PCMA Northern California Chapter members and partners. 

This month, Destination California, hosted by Northstar Meetings Group took place September 7 – 9 in San Diego. This California-centric event connects qualified meeting planners with destination representatives, hotels, and venues through one-on-one meetings, networking sessions, and educational content – highlighting California’s diverse offerings.