San Diego Tourism Industry Reports Strong Six Months of 2001
In revamping its marketing campaign, the Carlsbad Convention & Visitors Bureau is giving it a distinctly grass-roots feel.
Kurt Burkhart, the bureau’s executive director, said he plans to launch the new campaign early next year.
According to Burkhart, Carlsbad residents will become the faces of the bureau’s advertisements. It’s a more personal way to design the campaign, but it’s also cost effective, Burkhart said.
The bureau’s current marketing and promotion budget is $92,000. The ads are created in-house , there isn’t an marketing firm on record.
On Aug. 23, the bureau held an open call to have people audition for different slots, including a family and a boogie boarder. Applications are also being accepted by mail.
Also, Burkhart plans to add a new line to the city’s current marketing theme, “California’s Newest Playground.” The campaign was created about two years ago, he said.
Now, the first line will be “Way Cool Carlsbad,” Burkhart said.
The concept will be launched alongside the celebration of its 50th anniversary of city’s incorporation, Burkhart said. He expects to redo the bureau’s print collateral, including the visitor guide, he said.
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Tourism Numbers:
Although attendance dipped at local attractions and museums and the economy has been sluggish, San Diego’s tourism industry remained strong for the first six months of 2001, according to the Convention & Visitors Bureau.
ConVis recently released a report that indicates the visitor index, an overall measure of the industry’s health. The visitor index grew by 5.9 percent.
ConVis also reported more than 7.2 million overnight visitors came to San Diego from January to June, which was a 2.4 percent increase compared to last year.
Hotel occupancy levels marked a slight increase at 73.4 percent. The average daily room rate rose to $113.21.
Despite the other more upbeat news, attendance at local attractions and museums dropped. Attendance is down by 12.2 percent at attractions and by 14.1 percent at arts events and museums.
If exhibits in one year are particularly popular, it sometimes results in a decrease like the one found in San Diego this year, a spokeswoman for ConVis said.
According to the bureau, the decline reflects what’s happening at other similar facilities across the country , and experts have attributed it to consumers’ tightened belts in the softening economy. Checking In: A representative for the Lodge at Torrey Pines said the revamped resort will open a couple of months ahead of schedule. Originally slated for April, the hotel is now planning for Feb. 2, with a soft launch the month before. There will be a presentation of the California Travel and Tourism Commission’s marketing program at the next meeting of the San Diego County Hotel-Motel Association on Sept. 13. The luncheon starts at noon, with a half-hour for cocktails beforehand, at the Catamaran Resort Hotel in Pacific Beach. The cost is $25 in advance and $35 at the door and $10 less if paid in advance. Four Seasons Resort Aviara recently opened a new pool, which they’ve dubbed the “Quiet Pool.” The hotel plans to promote it as tranquil, with the sounds of sea birds and a nearby fountain, but the area is not without its modern twists. Cabanas along the deck are set up with high-speed Internet access, according to the hotel.
The deadline for the next tourism & hospitality column is Sept. 6. Rodrigues can be reached at (858) 277-6359, Ext. 107, or via e-mail at trodrigues@sdbj.com.
