In Tourism Push, State Seeks Its Own : Marketing: Nearly a third of next fiscal year’s proposed budget of $7.3 million has been earmarked to try to get Californians to vacation in the state.

The state’s top tourism official said Wednesday that her office hopes to use a 35% increase in next year’s promotion budget to get Californians to see more of the Golden State.

State Office of Tourism Director Flo Snyder, speaking at the seventh annual Governor’s Convention on Tourism in Anaheim, said that nearly a third of next fiscal year’s proposed budget of $7.3 million has been earmarked for in-state marketing efforts.

The proposed budget, which has been sent by Gov. George Deukmejian to the Legislature for approval, would amount to an increase of $1.9 million over the state’s $5.4-million tourism budget for the fiscal year ending June 30.

The in-state marketing program would be primarily aimed at couples, 25 years or older with household incomes in excess of $35,000, to try to persuade them to vacation in California rather than someplace else, state tourism officials said.

About 29% of the proposed promotion budget would be spent to lure the state’s residents to vacation in California. About 60% would be used to lure visitors from other states and the remaining 11% would be spent to attract foreign tourists.

Snyder said the new plan would include advertisements for Orange County attractions.

The state also intends to continue its print campaign for “The Californias,” an advertising theme designed to encourage tourists to explore more of the state’s diverse locales.

But even with the increased tourism budget, Snyder said California--which reaps more tourism dollars than any other state--is not spending enough to attract visitors.

The state spent 5 cents on tourism promotion for every visitor in 1988 and the average visitor spent $336 during his stay, according to the state Office of Tourism.

Other states spend four times as much to attract visitors who may, on average, spend less during their stay.

Asked if the budget was adequate, Snyder replied: “If we’re talking about meeting the competition from other states and countries, no, it’s not. We have to be prepared to meet the competition.”

Those warnings were echoed in a luncheon speech by Edward R. Book, president of the Travel Industry Assn., a major tourism-related trade organization, who warned that California could lose its premier status as a tourist destination unless it concentrates more on promoting itself.