There is no question that the tragic events of Sept. 11 have touched our lives in ways we could not imagine.
With each passing day, we are getting a clearer picture of the far-reaching economic impacts caused by this terrorist attack on our nation. Without a doubt, the world’s largest industry, travel and tourism, stands to be most adversely affected.
San Diego’s visitor industry , our region’s third largest , has suffered the same short-term losses as other convention/tourism destinations across the United States. While the industry is struggling to get back to business as usual, there is no denying the toll this disaster has taken on the local economy.
Hotels throughout the county continue to report cancellations of meeting and convention groups that were scheduled over the next several months. Long-haul leisure travel, as well as international visits, is at an all-time low.
The financial impact on our airlines, hotels, attractions, restaurants and entertainment venues is staggering, and we cannot even begin to estimate the combined loss of revenue that will ultimately result.
The effects go even further. The numerous small businesses that comprise the backbone of San Diego’s visitor industry are suffering immeasurably from the current state of events. Whenever a convention group cancels, a financial ripple effect begins. It may start at the top with businesses such as destination management and trade show staging companies.
It also trickles down to the “little guys” , the florist, the photographer, the musician, the cab driver, the messenger, and the badge maker , all those small business owners who rely heavily on our conventions and meetings business for their livelihood.
The Convention & Visitors Bureau has stepped up to the challenge of providing hope, help and counsel to all its members, as together we face the trials of the coming months. We are collecting up-to-date information, market research and forecasts from our industry sources. Armed with knowledge of the “big picture,” we are better able to advise our industry colleagues as to where the business is and how they can recapture it.
Making It Work
We have adjusted and redirected our own sales and marketing strategies and are funneling advertising dollars into areas that promise the best results. Our sales and marketing programs will place more emphasis on close-by drive markets and international marketing dollars have been redirected toward domestic markets for the short-term.
San Diego is in a better position than many tourist destinations across the nation because it can draw on its popularity as a leisure travel destination easily reached by car. Eighty percent of our region’s visitors are vacation travelers, and of that, more than half come from California, Arizona and Nevada.
Sixty percent of all visitors arrive by personal vehicle while 10 percent use a rental car to get here. It is safe to assume that as the nation returns to a relative degree of normalcy, San Diego will be the vacation choice of many seeking a reprieve from the emotional turmoil felt collectively across the nation.
In November, ConVis will launch its “Rediscover San Diego” advertising campaign in both local and Western region drive markets. This campaign, scheduled to run through February in 23 newspaper inserts in six Western markets, will offer a variety of discounts to the consumer looking for a vacation deal.
San Diegans will also benefit from this initiative. In an effort to get locals to experience a vacation right in their own back yards, ConVis will launch a local version of the campaign at the end of October that will run through February.
A special coupon book containing a variety of discounts on attractions, activities, shopping and dining will be distributed to potential vacationers. The coupon books will also be distributed through online requests and at participating hotels, visitor information centers, and travel agencies.
San Diego’s restaurant industry has also endured some major blows as a result of the loss of convention and leisure business, exacerbated by the “cocooning” reaction on the part of the public after the attack. In a country where dining out is a national pastime, this hesitancy of the public to leave their homes to visit a restaurant has certainly taken its toll on the industry.
