Arcata Chamber unveils 'Visit Arcata' demo, touts Oysterfest economic boost

Arcata City Council — The Arcata Chamber of Commerce delivered its annual report on May 20 and previewed a draft Visit Arcata website intended to promote local tourism and support small businesses.

Meredith Mayer, the chamber’s executive director, highlighted the chamber’s event calendar, partnerships, and efforts to promote sustainable, locally focused events. Mayer described the Visit Arcata demo as an itinerary-focused tool that offers live-updating maps and trip plans for visitors and residents.

Mayer highlighted Oysterfest as a flagship event: "In 2025, Oyster drew over 12,000 visitors to the plaza and 30% visiting tourists," she said, and told council the chamber paid about $65,000 to local vendors and suppliers. Mayer said a Cal Poly student used foot-traffic analytics and chamber financials to estimate the festival’s regional economic impact between $970,000 and $2,500,000 and estimated a $13–$35 return for every dollar invested by the chamber.

Why it matters: The chamber asked the city to consider collaborating on the Visit Arcata site and noted underutilized city assets that could support tourism and local business development. Council members praised the website demo and expressed interest in combining its content with the city’s upcoming economic development plan.

Follow-up: Chamber staff said they hope to expand contracted services with the city to promote business development, and council members welcomed further presentations including the city’s economic plan next month.

Ending: The council thanked the chamber for the presentation and moved on to the consent calendar.