ALASKA: The Historic Santa Maria Inn front desk clerk Bobbie Gibson, right, points out the room number for customer Paul Harris .The Santa Maria Chamber of Commerce and Visitor & Convention Bureau (VCB) are reporting a 13-percent increase in hotel tax revenues.
Santa Maria’s hotel industry saw its greatest transient occupancy tax (TOT) revenues in nearly a decade in the most recent fiscal year a 13-percent increase from last year, according to the Santa Maria Chamber of Commerce and Visitor & Convention Bureau.“Local hoteliers say that a variety of factors have made a difference, including warmer-than-usual weather, consumer spending confidence, positive press coverage and group events taking place in Santa Maria Valley,” said Gina Keough, director of the Santa Maria Valley Visitor & Convention Bureau (VCB).
The VCB’s annual report found that these tax revenues, which come from about 10 percent of the cost of hotel, motel and bed and breakfast occupancy, totaled more than $3.2 million from July 2014 to June 2015.Compared to the 2013-14 fiscal year, numbers were up every single month of the last fiscal year.The Visitor & Convention Bureau, which operates as a distribution center for information on the Santa Maria Valley, works closely with Visit California and the Central Coast Tourism Council to increase awareness for local attractions.
