Dear Industry Partners,
After the spring the California tourism industry has had, we should all take time to cheer the hopeful developments of the last weekend.
That first visitor
waited for the Yosemite gates to open at 5 a.m. Thursday to enter and watch the sunrise over Half Dome.
Hotels opened across the state, after 52 of California’s 58 counties earned the ability to reopen large swaths of their tourism economy.
Tourists and day trippers felt comfortable
heading to Tahoe over the weekend, and Tahoe felt comfortable welcoming them.
In Los Angeles, public health officials today are holding a teleconference for RV and campground owners in anticipation of the return of that important tourism segment.
Most beaches from Del Norte to San Diego counties are at least partially open.
Hotels, restaurants and other tourism businesses recognized immediately that surviving this pandemic would require difficult decisions. Significant operational changes were needed to win the approval from government and the trust of customers — and the industry stepped up, despite an impact on the bottom line. We are guaranteeing a safe and clean environment and protecting employees by limiting volume and some amenities but still providing excellent customer service.
California’s tourism industry, of course, must remain mindful of the health threat and not only maintain, but improve upon safety protocols. The pandemic will continue to test our resolve and creativity in the coming months. Many challenges remain.
While
large meetings are returning in some states, it likely will be months before California can again welcome large events and conventions. Airlift is slowly recovering, but the return of the international market that has added so much in recent years will trail.
Visit California will ramp-up its in-state campaign and continue to emphasize safety, and encourage businesses, visitors and all Californians to sign on to the responsible travel code.
For now, we should raise a glass to a safe and successful future and celebrate what has been achieved thus far in what will be a long recovery process.
Resilience is a hallmark of California’s tourism industry, and that will serve it well in the coming months and years.
As always, thank you for your support and resilience during this time.
Dream Big!
