Tourism Industry Update

Promoting Santa Cruz County as a Film Destination

Fulfilling VSCC’s mission to promote the region not only as a leisure and meetings destination but as a film location as well, Christina Glynn, Director of Communications and Film Commissioner attended an industry event designed to pair government agencies, production and studio executives, independent producers, and location managers with film commissioners worldwide. The Santa Cruz County Film Commission is a department within Visit Santa Cruz County. 

Hosted by the Association of Film Commissioners International, AFCI Week provided educational sessions, keynote presentations, and panel discussions focusing on significant advancements in the production sector and included valuable networking opportunities designed as industry receptions to the over 30 country representatives in attendance. Approximately 178 film liaisons and commissioners and 200 location managers and studio executives participated in AFCI Week. Matt Halvorson from Film SLO CAL, Sabrina Jurisich from the UpState California Film Commission, Karen Nordstrand from the Monterey County Film Commission, and Cam Newton from The San Francisco Peninsula Film Commission were other California-based film commissioners that were also in attendance. The week ended with studio tours of Warner Brothers Studios, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures and an industry reception hosted by Amazon Studios. 

Santa Cruz County’s strengths as a film destination lie in its natural beauty, easy access to scenic spots, and reasonable permitting fees. Unique backdrops and locations such as the iconic Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, the legendary Highway 1 on the county’s north coast, redwood forests, scenic beaches, windy Highway 9 through the Santa Cruz Mountains, and bespoke private homes have all hosted feature films, commercial shoots and still photo shoots throughout the years. These projects – in particular major motion pictures – bring significant economic impact to the region. In 2018, Paramount Pictures’ Bumblebee and Netflix’s Bird Box – which both debuted on December 21^st of that year – brought over $1.8 million to the local economy, with $625,000 spent on local hotels to house crew and talent, resulting in over 2,700 room nights between the two productions. Typically, Santa Cruz County hosts a steady stream of commercial shoots, campaigns, and corporate projects – most recently Tesla, Audi, New Balance, California State Parks Foundation, Range Rover, and Purina. 

VSCC Welcomes South Korea Agency Fam Tour

Showcasing the region to Visit California’s new agency in South Korea, Flavia Oliveira, Director of Sales and Travel Trade and Christina Glynn, Director of Communications, welcomed five representatives from I Plus Connect Communications (iConnect) and three Visit California staff to Santa Cruz County last month.  

The familiarization tour took place August 16 – 17, and included Roaring Camp Railroads, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, an e-bike tour of the beach area, Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, The Grove Café in Felton, Capitola Village, The Picnic Basket, and a farewell dinner at HOME in Soquel Village. The Dream Inn Santa Cruz hosted the group’s stay. Exploring the efficacy of the Asian market to Santa Cruz County and supporting the state’s efforts to promote California to Korean visitors, this new representation will help boost outreach with tour operators, develop new consumer media strategies, and increase partner program opportunities in market. VSCC leverages its strong relationship with Visit California to elevate exposure for local hotels, restaurants, attractions and small businesses to both established and mature as well as new and emerging markets for the region. 

Per Diem Rates Increased for Federal and State Employees

In August, the United States General Services Administration (GSA) announced a new fiscal year 2025 per diem rates for government travel in the continental United States. Each year, the GSA sets per diem rates for federal agencies to reimburse their employees’ lodging and meals expenses for official travel within the continental U.S. California’s state per diem rates also changed for the first time since 2018, with the standard rate increasing from $90 to $107 per night.  

The manner in which the rate is calculated each year is based on the average daily rate for lodging and meals from a trailing 12-month period, minus five percent. Working closely with the GSA, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) ensures that these rates are fair both to hoteliers and the federal agencies involved. The 2025 per diem increase is estimated to garner approximately $100 million for the U.S. hotel industry and reflects “the realities of persistent inflation,” according to Kevin Carey, interim president & CEO of the AHLA. Beginning October 1st and continuing through September 30, 2025, the federal per diem for Santa Cruz County is $139, with a slightly higher rate of $176 from June through August. The complete list of federal per diem rates for California destinations can be found here. For the complete state list, click here.

Nominate Your Hotel All-Stars!

The California Hotel & Lodging Association (CHLA) is now accepting nominations for its Hotel All Stars Awards. Formerly known as Stars of the Industry, the Hotel All Stars Awards recognizes lodging employees across eight different categories who embody the true spirit of hospitality and consistently go above and beyond in their roles. CHLA plans to recognize all nominees at an industry luncheon on December 6^th at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco. Click here to nominate an All Star! 

Arrivals and Departures

The Chaminade Resort & Spa announces that Julie Jimenez has joined the team as the new Director of Sales and Marketing! Welcome Abel Barrera, who has been named the Director of Sales and Marketing at the La Bahia Hotel and Spa, opening spring 2025. Nichole Aguilera is the new General Manager at the Beach Street Inn & Suites! The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History recently named Marla Novo as its interim executive director. Congratulations to Chris Clark, who was appointed Santa Cruz County sheriff when Sheriff Jim Hart steps down in December. And welcome Tamara Vides, new Watsonville city manager, the first woman to hold this position.

West Cliff Drive Community Conversations  

Join city leaders to learn about and discuss the next phase of the West Cliff Resilience and Community Vision during the virtual 5-Year Roadmap Kick-Off on September 26th. This presentation will be followed by a series of in-person and virtual community conversations on October 21st and November 19th, respectively. The roadmap will align with the 50-year Community Vision and existing City work. The final Roadmap will be presented to the Council by January 2025. 

Industry Kudos! 

Congratulations to Santa Cruz’s own Verve Coffee Roasters, which was awarded Macro-Roaster of the Year by Roast magazine! This award recognizes companies that roast more than 100,000 pounds of coffee beans annually and that exemplify a dedication to sustainability, promote employee and community education, and demonstrate a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity, among other criteria.     

Did you know?

Canadians Are Ranked Among Top Travel Spenders in 2024. Earlier this year, American Express Travel revealed that Canada ranked as the second-highest market with a projected average spend of $8,824 on leisure trips in 2024.