We’re so lucky we get to work where people come on vacation. We host more than three million visitors annually in our 151 establishments which include LEGOLAND California, the Museum of Making Music, theaters, shops, restaurants, and over 4,300 hotel rooms. Our Village by the Sea is a major tourist destination.
Carlsbad has five core industries: Hospitality and tourism, life sciences, clean technology, action sports manufacturing, and information and communications technology. The hospitality and tourism industry employs nearly 15,000 employees. Last year, Carlsbad’s hotels generated $19 million in transient occupancy tax and are on course to do the same this year.
The city and the Carlsbad Tourism Business Improvement District (CTBID) have been instrumental in promoting Carlsbad as a world-class travel destination. The CTBID was formed 10 years ago to market tourism in Carlsbad. The board is made up of seven members, three from the largest hotel operators in the city and four selected to represent a cross-section of the remaining Carlsbad hotel industry, make recommendations to the City Council on the expenditure of revenues derived from the $1 dollar per room night assessment funds.
“We recently hired a group sales manager to implement a group sales program that we hope will attract more business while increasing tourism especially during the shoulder season,” said Cheryl Gerhardt, manager for the Carlsbad Tourism Business Improvement District. “We’re also developing a marketing program for the off-peak season and we’re concentrating authority within.”
If you haven’t already planned your summer vacation, you might want to consider a staycation. “We have new hotel construction projects either beginning or working their way through the city’s planning process,” said Sam Ross, executive director for Visit Carlsbad. “There are new restaurants coming to the village this year, and with the economy doing well and gas prices relatively low, we should see plenty of visitors this summer.”