Goleta Chamber and City Partner to Promote Tourism

Source: Goleta Chamber of Commerce

The Goleta Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the continuation of our public-private partnership with the City of Goleta to promote tourism in Goleta.

The City of Goleta has approved funding of $150,000 for the next fiscal year for visitor services and tourism promotion for Goleta. This funding matches the $156,000 contribution from the South Coast Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) used specifically for destination marketing for Goleta.

“We are very pleased with the progress of the Go Goleta brand and the collaboration between the Chamber, City of Goleta and Visit Santa Barbara,” said Tom Patton, General Manager of Ramada Santa Barbara & Chair of the South Coast Tourism Business Improvement District. “The hotels voted to assess themselves to better market our destination and it is vitally important to see the City also contributing to that effort.”

This is the fifth year the Chamber and City have partnered to promote tourism. The City invested $50,000 a year 2013-2014 and raised their contribution to $150,000 a year for 2015-2016 to more closely match the South Coast Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) funds.

Go Goleta is the destination marketing arm that provides tourism services under the Goleta Chamber of Commerce. The ongoing partnership with the City of Goleta has allowed the Goleta Chamber of Commerce to expand our scope of work to further promote Goleta as a destination.

“As the largest hospitality employer in Goleta, Bacara applauds this public-private partnership that supports the hospitality industry,” said Shashi Poudyal, General Manager, Bacara Resort & Spa. “Working with the Chamber ensures that events such as World of Pinot Noir come to Goleta and have a large impact on the local economy.”

Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) is the largest source of revenue for the City of Goleta, making the visitor experience a large part of our economic development strategy.

“With tourism accounting for more than 33% of the City’s revenue, an investment in hospitality and tourism is critical for Goleta’s sustainability and economic growth,” said Kristen Miller, President & CEO of the Goleta Chamber of Commerce. “Goleta is a popular destination for business and leisure travelers alike, and it is important to establish that unique brand in this competitive market.” 

Public-private partnerships like this are not uncommon, in fact many cities invest a percentage of TOT with their local Chamber of Commerce or destination marketing organization to promote tourism.

Over the last year, Go Goleta has launched a new state of the art tourism website to promote the Goleta brand alongside a user-friendly experience that offers the necessary tools and information to ultimately drive bookings to Goleta hotels. 

In tandem with the launch of the website, a robust marketing campaign was launched targeting California drive markets.

For more information on the Go Goleta initiative, contact Kristen Miller atKristen@GoletaChamber.com or 967-2500 ext. 8.

(Photo credit: John Wiley / Lake Los Carneros)