Visit Santa Barbara reports record 2024 collections, cites airport growth and luxury demand
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Summary
Visit Santa Barbara told the City Council that transient-occupancy-tax receipts and airport passengers rose about 11% in 2024, driven by higher occupancy and new nonstop flights; the tourism promotion group says it will invest roughly $7.9 million in marketing for 2025.
Visit Santa Barbara told the Santa Barbara City Council on Feb. 4 that transient-occupancy-tax (TOT) receipts and passenger traffic at Santa Barbara Airport both rose about 11% in calendar year 2024, and that the destination will invest roughly $7.9 million in promotional spending to sustain growth in 2025.
“TOT was over $3,000,000 higher than in 2023, reflecting an 11% year‑over‑year increase,” Kathy Chinega Dykes, president and CEO of Visit Santa Barbara, told the council during the organization’s annual presentation. She said hotel occupancy rose about 3% and that the local luxury lodging segment saw particularly strong demand.
The report said the airport handled roughly 1,400,000 passengers in 2024, an increase the presentation attributed in part to Delta’s new nonstop service from Atlanta and Salt Lake City introduced in mid‑2024. “Delta in June of 2024 with two nonstop services from Atlanta and Salt Lake City … has truly been a game changer,” Chinega Dykes said.
Nut graf: Visit Santa Barbara framed the gains as supporting local jobs and city services paid in part by TOT: more overnight visitors generate sales and hotel‑room tax revenue that the city uses for fire, parks and other services. The bureau also emphasized partnerships with lodging, restaurants and the wine industry to extend visitor stays and spread economic benefits.
Council members and industry speakers from the meeting echoed the group’s message that coordinated marketing supports hotels, restaurants and small businesses. Chris Haster, airport director, said the collaboration helps the airport “strengthen existing routes and attract new service.” Warren Nalcon, general manager of Hotel Californian, described Visit Santa Barbara as “the glue” that helps boutique hotels compete with major chains.
The presentation also outlined Visit Santa Barbara’s marketing strategy: targeted digital campaigns, earned media placements and cooperative advertising aimed at drawing higher‑value visitors and supporting shoulder seasons. Chinega Dykes said the group’s program delivered about 1.2 million customer referrals to local businesses in 2024, with 40% directed to lodging providers.
Council members asked about potential headwinds including wildfire impacts and immigration‑related concerns. Chinega Dykes said the organization’s advanced‑booking research showed a healthy outlook, though she acknowledged short‑term disruptions related to regional wildfires and said Visit Santa Barbara was concentrating promotional dollars on key travel periods.
Ending: The presentation was informational; council members did not take a formal vote. Several council members and local business representatives publicly thanked Visit Santa Barbara for its work and urged continued attention to workforce development and equitable distribution of tourism benefits.
