State’s ‘Favorite Visitor’ Backs the Tax
Stumping for the tourism marketing referendum in a promotional video is none other than Huell Howser, the folksy television host of the travel show “California’s Gold” who’s billed as “everybody’s favorite visitor.”
The referendum may need some star power behind it, for as Poimiroo admits, passage is by no means a slam-dunk. Anything that hits small businesses in the wallet is always a tough sell. Plus, last year was such a good one for the state’s tourism industry, some operators may wonder why the proposed marketing plan is needed.
After all, 1996 visitor spending was the highest ever at $57.8 billion, including a record $5.5 billion in Orange County. Hotels all over the state registered sizzling occupancy levels. Theme parks did a land office business, led by record attendance at Disneyland.
“It’s always difficult to get people to change, particularly when things are going well,” Poimiroo said.
Still, last year’s strong showing masks the long-term erosion in California’s competitive position. Since 1989, California’s share of the overall domestic tourism market has declined from 12.9% of all visits to 10.5% last year, according to state figures.
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Marla Dickerson covers tourism for The Times. She can be reached at (714) 966-5670 and at marla.dickerson@latimes.com
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