Dee Elias, founder and CEO of DeeTours of Santa Barbara, announced that the five-year-old city and wine tour company has recently been named a Yelp Top Tours in the U.S. winner.
The annual list honors the nation’s most interesting, entertaining and “best value” tourist activities and is compiled from hundreds of thousands of Yelp reviews provided by consumers.
Founded in 2009 and inspired by expeditions in Bali, DeeTours’s high-profile, bright red convertible Jeeps have become a familiar sight in the Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez region and the firm’s fun and highly personalized tours have fostered a reputation as an innovative, independent operator.
Ranked at No. 8 on the Yelp Top Tours list and lauded for its city tours around Santa Barbara and visits to popular Santa Ynez wineries, DeeTours shares the honor with a New Orleans bicycle tour, a guided walk through Seattle’s Pike Place Market, a culinary journey of eateries in Austin, a catamaran sailing and snorkeling operator and three zipline adventure companies.
Based in San Francisco, Yelp Inc. connects people with great local businesses by featuring over 100 million consumer reviews, making it the leading local guide for everything from boutiques and mechanics to restaurants and dentists.
“We are thrilled to be chosen to be among the best tour operators in the country, and we’re flattered to be the only wine tour on Yelp’s list this year,” Elias said. “Our success is founded on ensuring that each customer feels special and each tour is a unique and memorable experience, whether it’s a family reunion, bachelorette party or company outing.”
After finding out about the Yelp award through an article forwarded to her by a friend, Elias recalls she was stunned to have been selected from the over 1,500 wine tour operators serving the thriving wine industries of California, Washington, New York, Oregon and other emerging viticulture hotspots.
She is quick to credit the small, dedicated DeeTours team for making her entrepreneurial dreams a reality.
“We believe we caught the attention of Yelp’s editorial staff through the hard work of my partner Sandy Glendinning, our SCORE mentor Ralph Luikart and all our wonderful customers who have posted such positive, five-star reviews since we’ve been in business. I can’t thank my supporters and customers enough,” Elias said.
In describing DeeTours’s unique tours and reason for ranking eighth on the Top Tours in the U.S. list, the Yelp editors cite its excursions through the heart of Santa Barbara, the popular all-day Santa Ynez tasting room tour for $135 per person and side trips to Solvang’s famous bakeries, shops and Danish-inspired squares and architecture.
As a member of the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce and active supporter of Visit Santa Barbara, the area’s convention and visitor’s bureau, Elias encourages tourists throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and the world to stop by and experience the charms of the American Riviera.
“We have so many wonderful hotels, restaurants, beaches, wilderness areas and cultural attractions, it’s no wonder Santa Barbara attracts tourists, students, cruise ships and the best and the brightest from everywhere,” she says. “We hope that the DeeTours’s relaxed and casual approach to sightseeing epitomizes the romantic and adventurous vibe that keeps people coming back again and again. Come and visit us and enjoy our slice of heaven from the seat of a custom, one-of-a-kind, stretch Jeep Limo.”
For tour information about DeeTours, visit www.DeeToursofSB.com, call 805.448.8425 or email dee@DeeToursofSB.com.
— Dee Elias is the founder and CEO of DeeTours.