Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Tourism Welcome Center topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Salinas disburses $19,834 in tourism‑assessment funds to California Welcome Center; quarterly visitor counts rise year‑over‑year
Summary
The finance committee received the Q3 report for the California Welcome Center, funded by the city’s tourism improvement district (TID). The center reported roughly 1,200 site visitors in the quarter, 511 visitors in March, and the city disbursed $19,834 from $75,000 collected year‑to‑date. Staff noted collections are on an honor system.
At the May 6 Salinas Finance Committee meeting, staff presented the fiscal year 2024–25 third‑quarter report for the California Welcome Center, which is funded by a tourism improvement district assessment on local overnight stays.
Lisa Brenton, community development director, summarized quarterly activity: the welcome center reported just over 1,200 site visitors for Q3, 77 social posts and about 6,300 combined website visits to the California Welcome Center and the statewide Soul of California network. Brenton said the city received $20,000 in TID receipts for the quarter and disbursed $19,834 (retaining 1% for administrative costs). “We received $20,000, in TID, and we disbursed 19,834 and change because we retained 1% for our administrative costs,” Brenton said.
Year‑to‑date collection and reporting Brenton said year‑to‑date TID collections are just over $75,000 and disbursements to the welcome center total just over $74,000. The report shows an increase in visitor counts for fiscal 2024–25 compared with the prior year: Brenton noted an average of 443 visitors per month so far in 2024–25 versus 310 for the same period the previous fiscal year.
Collection method and oversight Committee members asked about how overnight stays and incremental tourism impact are measured. Brenton explained the city collects a $2.50 assessment per overnight stay from hoteliers (the city keeps 50¢ and forwards $2 to the regional visitor bureau). She noted the counts and remittances are self‑reported and not audited by the city: “It is the honor system,” Brenton said. The committee discussed the option of augmenting the welcome center agreement and directed staff that council discretion exists to change funding or agreement terms; Brenton said staff will bring any proposed changes forward when the current contract — which runs through Aug. 30, 2025 — is renegotiated.
Ending: Committee members said they view the welcome center as a local asset and suggested exploring modest city investments and closer alignment of performance expectations when the agreement is revisited.
