In June 2024, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors extended the county’s contract with the Humboldt County Visitors Bureau (HCVB) through Dec. 31, 2024, and reallocated funds being spent on travel and tourism activities toward an in-depth marketing assessment to be conducted in collaboration with local cities, tourism districts and community partners.
“The HCVB has been the county’s designated destination marketing and management organization for decades, and the Board sincerely appreciates the work HCVB has done through the years to promote our beautiful county’s many attractions,” said Humboldt County Second District Supervisor and Chair of the Board Michelle Bushnell. “With the county’s current budget situation, it was time for us explore different ways to efficiently manage our travel and tourism marketing efforts.”
In December 2024, the County Administrative Office’s Economic Development Division issued a request for proposals for professional consulting services to research and analyze the county’s current marketing assets, efforts and regional tourism trends for the development of a comprehensive travel and tourism marketing strategy. Interested businesses, organizations and agencies, including the HCVB, were welcome to submit proposals. The submission deadline was Jan. 22. and proposals received will soon be evaluated.
“The Bureau will continue to promote the county to ensure it remains a premiere visitor destination. Revenue from tourists impacts the quality of life for every resident of the county,” said Ken Hamik, President of the HCVB’s Board of Directors. “Any reduction in revenue will hurt the numerous businesses and organizations throughout the county that rely on visitor spending to stay afloat. The bottom line is the quality of life for residents equals the quality of experience for the visitor.”
Tourism and travel-related spending supports a significant amount of local jobs and contributes to the county’s Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), which along with sales taxes is one of the few local taxes generated by visitors living outside of Humboldt County. TOT funds are used to provide essential county services, and a portion of these funds are dedicated to support the local tourism economy.
According to a recent report prepared for Visit California, in 2023, travel-related spending in Humboldt County, including dollars spent in unincorporated Humboldt County and its seven incorporated cities, was approximately $479 million. These travel-related dollars spent supported approximately 5,600 local hospitality jobs.
The County of Humboldt’s Economic Development Division is dedicated to promoting economic stability and growth through the county’s efforts to develop a new travel and tourism marketing strategy.
The County of Humboldt extends its gratitude to the HCVB for their ongoing dedication to promoting the county and the North Coast as a top tourist destination.
The County of Humboldt and HCVB look forward to continuing to work on their shared goal to support the local tourism industry and those who work in this important sector.
For more information on the Humboldt County Visitors Bureau, please visit visitredwoods.com or contact Julie Benbow via email at julie@visitredwoods.com.
For more information on the County of Humboldt’s economic development efforts, visit gohumco.com.