The tourism industry in Santa Barbara County has taken some hard hits during the novel coronavirus pandemic, but it continues its work to attract visitors to the area.
“No one wants to get coronavirus — not our local residents, not our hardworking hospitality workers, not visitors themselves,” said Kathy Janega-Dykes, president and CEO of Visit Santa Barbara. “The hard reality we face in Santa Barbara is that many businesses and attractions locals enjoy can’t survive on local patronage alone.”
Several local restaurants and retail stores have already permanently closed during the pandemic, which is “potentially just the tip of the iceberg,” according to Janega-Dykes.
The hospitality industry lost thousands of jobs in the aftermath of the statewide stay-at-home order issued in mid-March, and hotel occupancy rates have decreased dramatically in Santa Maria and Santa Barbara.
Santa Maria has maintained a 45 percent to 60 percent occupancy rate, but that is a decrease of 25 percent to 30 percent from what it was during the same months in 2019, according to Jennifer Harrison, director of the Visitors Bureau for the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Since leisure travel reopened on June 12, Santa Barbara has been a slight increase in hotel performance with a 45 percent occupancy rate last week, Janega-Dykes said. However, she added, the occupancy rate during the same period last July was 81 percent. She estimated that local hotels are losing about 13,000 guests per week.
“This is very concerning because the summer season typically helps hotels and many hospitality businesses get through the slower fall and winter months,” she said.
Harrison and Janega-Dykes said the transient occupancy tax, also known as the bed tax, is a main source of city and county revenues. Annual spending by travelers generates more than $56 million in yearly tax revenue for the South Coast, Janega-Dykes noted.
“In a typical year, Santa Barbara’s travel industry helps support more than 13,500 regional jobs — everyone from restaurant servers to store clerks, museum curators to hotel grounds crews, to your favorite neighborhood bartenders,” she said.
In the weeks after the statewide stay-at-home order, the City of Santa Maria continued e-newsletter campaigns for those stuck at home. It was not until June 12 that the city relaunched its marketing efforts.
“When the stay-at-home order was first announced, we halted all efforts to attract visitors,” Harrison said. “We are going to be continuing these recovery efforts for a while.”
Santa Maria’s restaurants have always been a big hit, especially the Santa Maria-style barbecue, she said, and the city is advertising the outdoor seating and curbside pickup services for those restaurants.
Both cities have shifted attention toward promoting outdoor activities, such as hiking trails and beaches.
“Something we have valued from the beginning is that we have these great open spaces that people can still safely utilize,” Harrison said. “It’s important to promote safe travel so when visitors come through they do feel comfortable and remember that we are here for them.”
Janega-Dykes added that it is important for businesses to clearly communicate their safety protocols and guidelines to guests.
“Even though COVID-19 is extremely challenging and poses ongoing issues, we don’t see managing risks as a zero-sum proposition between health and the economy, as some people have positioned it,” she said.
— Noozhawk staff writer Jade Martinez-Pogue can be reached at jmartinez-pogue@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
