Visit Santa Barbara is set for the upcoming summer season with wellness marketing

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – With the summer tourist season essentially starting this month on Memorial Day weekend, Visit Santa Barbara is giving its members some insights on marketing plans.

An annual report taking place at the Rosewood Miramar is in line with National Travel and Tourism Week and California Tourism Month.

Visit Santa Barbara said Santa Barbara South Coast tourism brings in $2.24 billion, including $82.9 million in yearly tax revenue. The information comes from Future Partners, a tourism market research firm. The tourism industry is also a major employer with more than 15,000 jobs.

This year, the presentation will focus on Santa Barbara County as a wellness destination.

Featured speakers included Daniel Pozas and Meredith Markworth-Pollack, owners of PALMA Colectiva; Adrienne Smith, owner of Power of Your Om; Janis Clapoff, general manager of El Encanto, A Belmond Hotel, Santa Barbara; and Jane Chapman, founder of The Communal Table Santa Barbara. 

The discussion was moderated by Travel Zoo Senior Editor Gabe Saglie.

The audience learned a wellness  vacation is becoming not just trendy but common for those who are escaping where they live and what they do.

When looking at so many healthy options in the greater Santa Barbara area, Saglie said, "so all of a sudden, Santa Barbara has an opportunity to cater to,  whatever that might need to you or to me or somebody else, but to personalize it and to cater to this idea that you can leave here feeling better than when you arrive."

Many business specializing in wellness services are on the Central Coast and collaborating.

Jane Chapman is the Communal Table founder where dinners and conversations are curated together.  "I think we do attract and very special community that lives here year round and also attracts a very special person that want to visit.  I think because of our natural environment, our values, really taking pride and ownership in this place."

A travel experience with wellness options can be uniquely created in and around Santa Barbara bringing food and the local lifestyle together.

Saglie said,  "this idea that we are traveling so that we can, return to our realities, feeling better, maybe having done something better while we were away.   Just elevating the experience across the board but  certainly pulling ourselves  into that mix makes it a priority."

Packing up some of the experiences for the next strp is also a goal. Chapman said,  "my hope is when  you experience that here in this magical place, you'll be inspired to go home and care for your place the same way."

Having unique experiences creates memories and the tourism industry says that is essential now with so much competition for the travelers time in what's still a post pandemic travel economy.

Visit Santa Barbara CEO Kathy Janega-Dykes said, "people were flocking to Santa Barbara after world had not yet opened up. And then, you know, two summers ago, we saw many of our customers start traveling to to Europe, and they're continuing to do so to Asia. But I think it's really important for us just to remain vigilant."

New indicators for the summer are also starting to ben encouraging in a year when hotel bed taxes have been trailing the projections.

Janega-Dykes said,   "hotels are reporting they are seeing more reservations on the books than they saw last year."

The sunshine, wellness and culinary attractiveness could be part of the reason, compared to other choices. Saglie said,   "this idea that I want to explore, something that's going to make me more mindful, more aware of myself, of my neighbor, of my community, and I think we see that very much alive and well every day in Santa Barbara. "

Some of the special services are also shared internally. El Encanto General Manager Janis Clapoff said,   "we do a complimentary sound bathing for the community, our employees and their families once a month in the summer."