Del Norte visitor bureau cites marketing gains; board raises capacity and storm‑season promotion concerns

The Crescent City Del Norte Visitor Bureau presented its annual report to the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors, reporting strong marketing results tied to Visit California partnerships, rising website traffic and several events placing highly in a regional strategic tourism ranking.

Cindy Bossberg, executive director of the Crescent City Del Norte Chamber of Commerce and the Del Norte Visitor Bureau, told supervisors the bureau is funded by transient occupancy tax (TOT) dollars and that a Visit California regional strategic tourism plan ranked three Del Norte events among the top four in the North Coast region. She said the bureau partners with a destination-marketing firm and that the Visit California “Let’s Play” campaign produced national-level results backed by a large media buy.

Lynette Brayler, founder and creative director of Lulish, the bureau’s marketing partner, presented campaign highlights and metrics. Brayler said Visit California’s marketing generated $31.5 billion in incremental visitor spending statewide and noted Visit California’s $33 million global media budget. The visitor bureau reported its website drew more views last year than the total population of the North Coast region and compared favorably with neighboring destinations: Shasta Cascade reported 47,000 campaign-driven site visits in fiscal year 2023–24, while Del Norte reported 368% more visits using around $146,000 less in budget for comparable campaigns, the presenters said.

Board members and the public discussed management of visitor volumes during peak season. Supervisor Short and others said trailheads and day-use areas in the redwoods are frequently at capacity and that the bureau should emphasize off-peak and non‑hiking attractions. Bossberg and Brayler said the bureau markets “storm watching” and promotes the redwood rain‑forest experience to attract visitors in the wet season and that the bureau scales back some summer marketing to ease capacity pressures.

Other items raised during and after the presentation included Bigfoot-related tourism opportunities (including a possible exhibit tied to the Patterson–Gimlin film) and interest in pursuing direct-flight marketing around the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Public commenters suggested developing more indoor or weather‑resilient attractions to expand winter visitation.

The board thanked the bureau for its work and encouraged continued emphasis on both shoulder‑season marketing and management of visitor capacity to reduce pressure on trailheads and local services.