Calif. wooing its residents as tourists
SAN FRANCISCO — Californians starved for travel aren’t welcome in New York and can’t even land in Europe because of the surging coronavirus outbreak in their home state so they are being wooed by local tourism boards promising safe and clean lodging, dining and sightseeing in a bid to boost their devastated economies.
Sonoma County’s tourism bureau rolled out its “Life Opens Up” campaign last week, aimed at people within an easy drive of California’s San Francisco Bay Area wine country. Visit Santa Cruz County also launched an advertising campaign this week, inviting people to “Let’s Cruz Again” even as it reminded visitors to wear a mask.
The Greater Palm Springs visitors bureau created a public service announcement for Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego markets asking people to be responsible, courteous and wear masks in part so businesses can stay open.
California took a big step back in reopening its economy last week amid an alarming rise in reported coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered a three-week closure of bars and many indoor establishments in counties with about three-quarters of the state’s population. The list includes Riverside County, which is home to the desert resort city of Palm Springs, but not Sonoma or Santa Cruz, which have not seen a similarly large surge of confirmed virus cases.
Leisure travel, which resumed last month, is still allowed and hotels eagerly welcomed visitors for the long Fourth of July weekend even as public health experts and mayors of popular beach towns Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay pleaded with people to stay home for the holiday.
Tourism advocates say it is possible to travel safely, so long as people wear masks, wash their hands often and keep apart from others. They want visitors to support local businesses while getting away from it all.
“Tourism is not dangerous. I think people not following the rules is dangerous,” said Crista Luedtke, who owns a boutique hotel in the Sonoma County town of Guerneville as well as two restaurants and a bar. She said people out grocery shopping “are every bit as dangerous if they’re not playing by the rules.”
Business at the 14-room Boon Hotel and Spa has been “bonkers” since opening to tourists, she said. Guests are required to stay at least two nights and they’re assigned two pool chaise lounges for their stay. Luedtke said most guests are from the Bay Area with some driving from San Diego, Seattle or Oregon.
“Nobody’s flown to get to us and they’re all just delighted to be out of their homes. It’s the first time they’ve been out since shelter in place so everybody’s in heaven,” she said.
Travelers have questions about what’s open, with lots of interest in swimming, boating, camping and beaches, said Birgitt Vaughan, director of global media relations for Sonoma County Tourism. They’re not showing much trepidation.
Countries in Europe have opened up for tourists from places deemed to have the pandemic under control; that does not include the United States. New York is requiring visitors from California and other hot-spot states to self-quarantine for 14 days.
