Santa Maria Sees Increase in Hotel Occupancy

Some Santa Maria hotels expect to see an increase in tourism in 2015. The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce and Visitor and Convention Bureau says so far in the fiscal year it’s seeing a nine percent jump in hotel occupancy taxes.

The CVB is seeing more people come to Santa Maria.

Gina Keough, director of the visitor and convention bureau in Santa Maria, said, “We’re seeing a continuing trend in an increase in occupancy; when I say occupancy I mean people coming to stay in hotels so we’re very happy with that.”

Keough said “This year at midyear which doesn’t include December yet it’s already at 1.2 million dollars.”

Hotel taxes the CVB calculated for the 2014-15 fiscal year is $1,196,586.66 as opposed to $1,101,551.17 in 2013-2014.

The bureau says it’s seeing an increase each month.

Santa Maria Inn general manager, Jean-Luv Garon, said, “It’s nice to see a bounce back since 2008. People are starting to travel again.”

Garon said he sees guests from the state of California, other states, Europe and Asia. “Quite all over,” Garon said.

Garon expects a busy summer in 2015 and a possible increase in the price of hotel rooms.