Bay Area Communities Get Creative to Draw Tourists

Bay Area Communities Get Creative to Draw Tourists
Saturday, 29 March 2008

BENICIA, Calif. (KCBS) -- The downturn in the economy has some Bay Area communities competing for tourists to help generate revenue. Sometimes the competition is between cities right next to each other. A classic example is Benicia and Vallejo, which both sit along the Carquinez Strait and offer great visits.

Yet, only Benicia is making a concerted effort to draw tourist dollars to town. In the next few weeks, the city council will be presented with a new marketing strategy for Benicia, including the slogan “Great Day by the Bay,” according to Amalia Lorentz, the city’s economic development manager.

Vallejo also has a waterfront location as well, but hasn’t done much in the way of getting a marketing strategy off the ground.

Mike Browne of the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau says they’d set aside $80,000 for a marketing campaign, but it vanished. Coincidentally, that's about the same amount Benicia is spending on its campaign which could be unveiled this fall.

Browne says due to the city's tenuous fiscal health, his bureau may have to ask corporations, businesses and community organizations to raise the money to help shine a spotlight on Vallejo. He also hopes to launch a new city slogan as the North Star of the Bay.