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California Welcome Center reports more than 1,200 site visits in Q3; Salinas has collected about $75,000 in TID assessments so far this fiscal year
Summary
City staff presented the fiscal year 2024–25 third-quarter report for the California Welcome Center (operating under the city's tourism improvement district). The center reported about 1,200 site visitors in Q3 and the city has collected about $75,000 in TID assessments year to date and disbursed just over $74,000.
Lisa Brenton, Community Development Director, presented the fiscal year 2024–25 quarter 3 report for the California Welcome Center on May 6, explaining the center is funded by tourism improvement district (TID) assessments collected from local hotels.
Key figures Brenton said quarter 3 recorded just over 1,200 site visitors, 77 social posts and about 6,300 website visits (combined between the local Welcome Center site and the statewide "Soul of California" portal). She reported the city collected just over $75,000 in TID assessments year to date and disbursed just over $74,000 to the Welcome Center; the city retains 1% of TID collections for administrative costs.
Reporting and measurement When asked how visits at the welcome center translate into overnight stays, Brenton explained the estimate is based on the $2.50 per overnight stay assessment remitted by hoteliers (the city retains 50¢ and transmits $2 to the regional tourism bureau). She cautioned that matching a welcome-center visit to an incremental overnight stay is imperfect and based on the remitted TID totals. "It's a very imperfect science," Brenton said.
Audit question and funding Committee members asked whether the city audits remittances from hoteliers. Brenton said remittance is currently handled on an honor system and the city has the ability to audit but has not historically performed TID audits. She said the current agreement with the Welcome Center runs through August 30, 2025, and that the council may choose to augment funding or negotiate terms when the contract comes up for renewal.
Action Committee members moved and seconded a motion to receive the quarter 3 report; roll call recorded D'Arrigo: yes; De La Rosa: yes; Mayor Donahue: yes. The motion passed.
Why it matters The welcome center uses TID funding to promote overnight stays and visitor services; trends in visits, posts and site traffic inform how the city evaluates the center's contract and potential augmentation of support during the upcoming contract renewal discussion.
