Tourism experts anticipate boost to hotel industry following Labor Day weekend
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif.— Labor Day weekend brings people from all over to Santa Barbara and nearby cities.
It’s a weekend that’s typically a huge boost for the hotel industry— a boost that could definitely help in light of recent stats.
According to Visit Santa Barbara, the hotel vacancy rate was 18.6% percent this past July.
That's higher than last summer.
“People are now exploring some of the international destinations. Certainly a lot of Americans went to Europe. We also see the return of visitors going back to the urban cities this year. There were a lot of very popular concerts in some of our nearby urban cities,” said Visit Santa Barbara President and CEO Kathy Janega-Dykes.
And though a lot of people traveled to big cities over the summer, many are now escaping to places like Alisal Ranch, which is sold out for the long weekend.
“Young families are looking to show their children, you know, just how beautiful California countryside is to have an experience, to ride a horse for the very first time, to not be on their tablet or on their cell phones all the time, to actually reconnect as a family,” said Alisal Ranch General Manager Kathleen Cochran.
Tourism experts say Santa Barbara’s unique position as a small town with big city attractions will continue to draw visitors long term.
“ We actually have something for everyone, anything from bed and breakfast to boutique hotels to luxury resorts as well,” said Janega-Dykes.
“We took a look at a few hotels around town. We ended up staying closer to Goleta, the university,” said Chad Brodie, who is visiting from San Francisco.
Proximity to the beach is a deciding factor for many.
“We looked for something close to close to the beaches and close to the sea. Really nice. We're very happy with that,” said Hildegunn Gjengedal, who is visiting from Norway.
Tourism experts say they expect to see an uptick in visitors to the area as we transition to Fall when special events like the Goleta Lemon Festival and the Santa Barbara Harbor and Seafood Festival are set to take place.
