Visit Santa Barbara (VSB), the destination marketing organization for the Santa Barbara South Coast region, held its Annual General Meeting May 11 at the Santa Barbara Zoo.
Held during National Travel and Tourism Week (which marked its 40th anniversary in 2023), the annual gathering of hospitality businesses and attractions celebrated the contributions of Santa Barbara South Coast tourism, an industry that generates more than $1.9 billion, including $56 million in yearly tax revenue, and is responsible for more than 13,000 tourism jobs.
“The Annual General Meeting event is always a great time to reflect on the value of the local tourism industry and Visit Santa Barbara’s role in marketing the South Coast to visitors,” says Kathy Janega-Dykes, president/CEO of Visit Santa Barbara.
“The event recognized the efforts of our hard-working board and the collaborations that make our region such a thriving travel destination,” she said.
VSB worked to provide the all-clear signal through marketing, public relations and sales when January’s severe storms made national headlines and had a negative impact on local business. This helped to draw overnight visitors back to the Santa Barbara South Coast, including those who might not have traveled otherwise.
“As we continue to welcome back visitors to the ‘American Riviera,’ I’m proud of our leadership, the Visit Santa Barbara team and our hospitality community for demonstrating resilience and ingenuity,” said Janega-Dykes.
The theme of this year’s Annual General Meeting was how to make the Santa Barbara South Coast more accessible for all visitors, including people with disabilities.
Victoria Strong, founder/executive director of Santa Barbara’s Gwendolyn Strong Foundation; and John Sage, the Texas-based founder/CEO of Accessible Travel Solutions, were the featured speakers.
“This year’s Annual General Meeting focused on accessibility in the travel community and provided insights on how to become a more welcoming destination for an important segment of the traveling public,” Janega-Dykes said.
The Santa Barbara Zoo was selected for this year’s event venue because of its designation as a Certified Autism Center. Following the program, attendees learned more about local accessibility resources at an information table featuring the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation, PathPoint, Autism Embrace, NatureTrack and Alpha Resource Center.
Organization representatives shared their knowledge with attendees and provided additional resources for business.
VSB Vice Chair Chris Cline announced the organization’s incoming board members and recognized outgoing board members for the coming fiscal year.
A handful of outgoing Visit Santa Barbara Board members will soon wrap up their three-year terms, including:
Barry Dorsey, general manager of The Leta Hotel, Tapestry Collection by Hilton; Greg Gorga, executive director of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum; Dean Noble, executive director of Elings Park; Kyle Oliver, general manager of Sandpiper Golf Club; Mitchell Sjerven, owner of bouchon; and Steve Windhager, executive director of the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.
The vacant seats will be filled with a new slate of directors coming on board in July including:
Rebecca Anderson, executive director of Ganna Walska Lotusland; Jens Baake, president of Acme Hospitality; Nick Gillio, general manager of Drift Santa Barbara; Babett Hirzel, general manager of Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort; David Sigman, general manager of the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club; and Ben Sprague, CEO of the Earl Warren Showgrounds.
More than 200 guests, including Visit Santa Barbara members, Santa Barbara County hospitality industry professionals, city and county officials, and community leaders attended Visit Santa Barbara’s 2023 Annual General Meeting.