The City of Hollister will pay the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce and Visitors’ Bureau $50,000 to develop a tourism marketing campaign, using Tourism Set-Aside Fund money from the local transient occupancy tax.
“Our board is fully behind this effort,” said Chris Mann, chairman of the Chamber’s board of directors, noting the county’s selling points, such as Pinnacles National Monument. “There’s a lot to be had here.”
Chamber board member David Huboi told the Hollister City Council, which approved the funding at its Feb. 2 meeting, that the Chamber believes tourism “is an essential part” of the county’s economy. “For us to become a destination and gateway for tourism, it requires a collective vision and a collective effort.”
Hollister brings in approximately $140,000 annually in transient occupancy tax revenues from hotel guests, “and it is the desire of the County Council to invest those dollars back into tourism,” City Manager William Avera write in a report to council.
The marketing campaign includes a number of actions, including:
- branding and print materials, including a visitors’ guide, expanded social media footprint and material to distribute to welcome centers, other chambers of commerce and hotels
- augmented tourism links on the Chamber’s website
- “FAM Tours,” in which travel writers are invited to the area, shown what it has to offer, and encouraged to write about it as a destination
- visitor bags that will be given to RV groups and parks. Bolado Park already has been using these
- targeted print and radio advertising
- a $12,500 administration fee for a part-time chamber employee to oversee the Tourism Committee’s activities, and a grant writer to leverage city funds for other grants
The agreement with the city, which was spearheaded by councilmen Victor Gomez and Raymond Friend, requires the Chamber to provide a semi-annual report to the city council and appoint a council member to the Chamber’s Tourism Committee.