CHLA Lodging News Nov/Dec 2019

4 CALIFORNIA LODGING NEWS www.calodging.com MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Lynn S. Mohrfeld CHLA President & CEO THERE’S A REASON FOR THAT. There’s a reason California is the most visited state in the nation. That’s because, via Visit California, we constantly remind travelers that California is wonderful and has pretty much any vacation a person could want. Visit California has been promoting the great State of California for more than 25 years through the visitor assessment all hotels—along with car rentals and other tourism businesses—collect from their guests. These nominal charges from visitors last year added up to over $131 million for statewide marketing programs. Even today, this visitor assessment is considered an industry leading formula for tourism promotion and is the envy of every other state. Visit California’s marketing programs have delivered billions of dollars of new visitor spending to the hospitality industry and thousands of other businesses in every community across the state. These visitors and their billions of economic impact don’t just appear magically. Long gone are the days where the state could rely on its natural beauty, vibrant destinations, and incredible attractions. There is incredible competition for tourism dollars, and we need to constantly remind visitors of California’s allure. We must make it happen. At the end of November, hotels and other tourism related business across the state will have an opportunity to renew the Visit California program. This renewal is by design, so that the industry has a vote every six years to validate the efforts of Visit California and renew their mandate to market California to the world. It’s clear from the industry’s performance that this is a winning program, which is why I encourage you to vote “YES” to ensure the continued success of California’s travel and tourism industry. Please watch for your ballot in the mail—the completed ballots are due by December 31, 2019. We are stronger together—that’s the reason California is the most visited destination. Vote “YES” for Visit California. Sincerely, Lynn S. Mohrfeld, CAE PS—Learn more about Visit California’s renewal at renew.visitcalifornia.com . California is the most visited state in the nation.