Laid-Back Life Is Ventura County Lure, Survey Says

Watch out Santa Barbara. Ventura County may not have a Nordstrom or a precious Spanish-revival theme, but, according to a yearlong study released Thursday, tourists like its laid-back funky charm just fine.

More than a quarter of Ventura County’s tourists are first-time visitors drawn by a chance to hit sales at the Camarillo Premium Outlets, catch a play at the Fred Kavli Theatre in Thousand Oaks or browse antique shops in downtown Ventura, the survey finds.

Most tourists come from within the state and view Ventura County as a “smaller, quieter and quainter” alternative to upscale Santa Barbara, said Ronda L. LaRue, a consultant hired by the county’s Cultural Tourism Federation to conduct the survey. LaRue will present her findings to the federation and the Economic Development Collaborative at a luncheon Oct. 27.

“Visitors see the county as relaxed and having a small-town ambience. People feel like they are a world away,” LaRue said. “We are getting people who are saturated with Santa Barbara. It may be America’s Riviera, but it’s busy and crowded and some people just don’t want that on vacation.”

Tourism organizations will use the results to draw up marketing plans designed to keep the first-timers coming back, said Joe McClure, executive director of the Economic Development Collaborative. McClure’s group, funded by federal, state and local grants, works with tourist bureaus in Ventura, Oxnard and the Santa Clara Valley to broaden the county’s image as a sun-and-sand destination.

“Sure, you can come to Ventura’s beaches, but did you also know that you can go to the Reagan library and ride a turn-of-the-century train in Fillmore?” McClure asked. “The message we want to sell is that you can have a whole weekend here.”

The Cultural Tourism Federation was particularly interested in the county for those seeking plays, museums and art galleries, LaRue said. The results are upbeat, showing that such venues are the biggest draw for tourists.

Fifty-seven percent of those queried said they came to visit museums or a festival, outpacing both shopping in second place and dining out in third. The county’s coastline, with its uncrowded beaches and easy parking, came in a distant fourth as a destination.

Tom Mitze, theater director at the Civic Arts Plaza in Thousand Oaks, said two types of patrons are drawn to its performance halls. The majority are people who live in Ventura County, subscribe to the theaters and faithfully attend plays.

The others are out-of-towners who are attracted by such international and national performers as the Bolshoi Ballet and pop singer Barry Manilow.

“When we had Barry Manilow, we had people flying in from Florida,” Mitze said.

It makes sense to tempt theater-goers to stay for a weekend, but those who come up from Los Angeles usually turn around and go home after a performance, he said.

“The challenge will be to persuade them to stay in a local hotel and explore other areas of the county,” Mitze said. “That might be easier for people coming up from San Diego than it is for someone from L.A.”

LaRue surveyed 2,000 people at sites throughout Ventura County. On the whole, tourists say they come to Ventura County three times a year, usually for a vacation. Eighty-five percent of tourists rate the county as a good, great or excellent place to stay.

Yet there is room for improvement, LaRue said.

“We haven’t really taken full advantage of what our offerings are,” said LaRue, whose office is in Ojai. “The goal is to present a cohesive regional identity that says Ventura County is a unique destination and here’s all the things you can do while you are here.”