Summer Travel Showed Strong Signs But Weather Impacts Detoured Some Plans
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - The summer travel season is sometimes considered over at the end of Labor Day weekend, even though the calendar doesn't start fall until later this month.
Santa Barbara and the Central Coast have seen some significant spikes in travelers this summer so far, mainly from the greater Los Angeles area.
Interviews with travelers show there is still a group that is holding their money tight due to lingering inflation and higher airfares.
Local train station traffic on the AMTRAK Pacfic Surfliner had reports of packed train cars on weekends for weeks.
There are often many "day trippers" from Los Angeles to and from Santa Barbara.
An Inglewood resident getting off the train said, she was avoiding the areas with the most hear. Victoria Thomas made it clear, "I don't want to go into it, if i did I would go to Florida!" Looking to the Santa Barbara waterfront she said, "I already feel a breeze and it is just beautiful town to be in and we are looking forward to luncheon. "
Travelers trying to maximize their dollars and possibly save for a holiday trip have stayed closer to home with friends or had staycations or "backyard" travel with a regional distance of under 300 miles from home.
Some heat waves in Europe have reportedly led to a change in plans for about 20 percent of travelers who have moved their vacations to another date when the weather is cooler in the fall.
Veronica King lives locally and was heading to the waterfront and said, "we play a lot of beach volleyball. down at East beach with co workers and friends. It feels like we are on vacation all the time. We don't have to leave."
With his family, Jose Cardenas said, "ea we traveled a little bit but mostly local because there's a lot to do right here. " He said his truck costs him about $140. to fill up.
A summer trip to Europe had some savings on the ground for Kevin De Los Santos. Flights were expensive but once we there and flew in between countries it was affordable. "
Leaving the Phoenix heat behind, traveling with ease to the coast to see family was a priority for one couple. Janice Blaise said, "traveling too far of a distance doesn't seem that safe."
She also said the Santa Barbara area was enjoyable but had a concern with kids riding recklessly on bikes.
Her husband Ken was happy to see the waterfront and changes to downtown which he likes now and is looking forward to more. "If you can't find something there you probably shouldn't be here, " he said about the choices of restaurants, retail activities and other things to do.
Santa Barbara collected $4.7 Million in Transient Occupancy Taxes (TOT) for July 2026, the first month in the City's fiscal year.
Of that, approximately $4.1 Million came from hotels and $600,000 from short-term rentals.
Year to date, total TOT revenues are coming in 9.7 percent above budget.
