Goleta Tourism Spotlight

January – March 2019

A MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT/CEO KATHY JANEGA-DYKES

This quarter, Visit Santa Barbara (VSB) further developed its new brand campaign, working closely with Goleta partners to promote tourism to our world-class destination. We also continue to entice visitors with engaging social media and website content, and outreach by our Sales, Travel Trade and Communications teams. VSB recently announced the release of the new 2019 Santa Barbara Visitors Magazine, with an entire section devoted to The Good Land’s many attractions. Please read on for a recap of VSB’s marketing and promotional efforts for Goleta over the past few months.

SANTA BARBARA EFFECT CAMPAIGN

Visit Santa Barbara’s new “Santa Barbara Effect” brand campaign is designed to position the Santa Barbara South Coast as quintessential California with emotionally compelling content and an approachable and authentic voice. The campaign focuses on full-color photography, video and content pieces, and will roll out across a variety of channels and mediums between now and June. Key drive and fly markets will be targeted through video, digital, print and social media. An eight-day photo and video shoot was held in January and included The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara and Sandpiper Golf Club. To watch the new 30-second brand video, click here.

TOP PERFORMING GOLETA GRAMS

To inspire audiences to add Goleta to the top of their travel list, VSB used its Instagram channel to showcase Goleta’s stunning landscapes and hotels. Three featured posts were top performing, reaching 89,875 Instagram users, and generating 8,800 likes and 76 comments. Posts included:

GOLETA ONLINE

To encourage visitation, Goleta was included in three pieces of premium website content on SantaBarbaraCA.com, featuring Goleta events and South Coast hotel partners. This content was also promoted through Visit Santa Barbara’s social media and consumer newsletter channels.

  • “Suite Spots in Santa Barbara” has generated 2,000+ page views and features four Goleta lodging properties including El Capitan Canyon, Hilton Garden Inn Santa Barbara/Goleta, The Kimpton Goodland Hotel and Pacifica Suites.
  • “Santa Barbara Love” celebrates The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara being named one of Travel + Leisure’s “Top Resorts in Southern California” and has received 2,000+ page views.
  • “Next Month in Santa Barbara” for March included a featured placement for Goleta’s World of Pinot Noir event, reaching 5,200+ page views.

 

NEW 2019 SANTA BARBARA VISITORS MAGAZINE

Visit Santa Barbara published the 2019 Santa Barbara Visitors Magazine this spring. It features stunning photography, with tips on unique experiences and coverage of the latest openings. Goleta, The Good Land, is highlighted across 14 pages with tips on where to eat, play and stay. From hotels and chef-driven restaurants to neighborhoods and boutiques, to the lowdown on the region’s world-class wine, arts and cultural scenes, the magazine captures everything needed to curate the perfect South Coast getaway. Magazines are available through online and phone requests, at California Welcome Centers, West Coast airports and South Coast-area hospitality businesses, among other outlets. To request a magazine, click here or call (805) 966-9222.

 

MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS:

The Communications Department has been pursuing positive media coverage of the South Coast and Goleta through press trips and pitching efforts, generating the following stand-out coverage in Q3:

  • The direct-fly market of Denver got exposure to Goleta following several hosted FAMs. Denver’s 303 Magazine (49,243 Unique Visitors per Month) mentions Goleta attractions and events in a budget-friendly travel story, “A Cheap Traveler’s Guide on Visiting Santa Barbara from Denver.” Denver-based lifestyle blogger PaleOMG (608,548 UVM) shared “What to Do and Where to Eat in Santa Barbara,” highlighting the region and The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara on its website and in a newsletter to followers. Goleta also received placement on the Instagram account for PaleOMG with a story and posts reaching over 338,000 Instagram users.

  • The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara received media attention this quarter. Toronto TV show “The Morning Show” (average audience reach of 300,000; 1 million UVM) aired a travel segment on “All the places you should go” covering standout destinations from The New York Times’ annual “52 Places to Go in 2019” list and mentioning the resort. Stories in lifestyle magazines Modern Luxury Silicon Valley (21,034 UVM; 30,000 circulation) and Metrosource Online (11,680 UVM; 127,543 circulation) also give travelers a reason to visit.
  • Family Travel blogger Suburban Turmoil shares “30 Things to Do with Kids in Santa Barbara” including South Coast hotspot The Kimpton Goodland Hotel and outdoor adventures at the Ellwood Bluffs and Goleta Butterfly Grove.

CLIENT SITE VISITS AND FAMS:

The Sales Department made efforts to attract and educate clients in top domestic and international markets for the Santa Barbara South Coast by hosting various FAM tours to showcase the diversity of experiences and hotel product in the region:

  • ConferenceDirect was founded in 1998 and has become one of the largest and most respected meeting and event management firms in the world. A select group of ConferenceDirect associates were hosted for site visits, which included a stopover at The Kimpton Goodland Hotel. Separately, the VSB team also partnered with The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara and ConferenceDirect to secure FMSP Live 2020. “SB Meeting Rewards,” VSB’s booking incentive program, was offered to the clients to influence their selection decision.
  • VSB, along with Hilton Garden Inn Santa Barbara/Goleta, attended Meeting Professionals International’s (MPI) Weekend Conference (WeCon). MPI is the largest meeting planner and event planner industry association worldwide. Santa Barbara will host this conference in 2020.

VOTE IN CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER

READER’S CHOICE AWARDS

Voting is open for the 2019 Condé Nast Traveler Reader’s Choice Awards. Please invite your colleagues, friends and guests to participate before voting ends on June 30. Rally your community to vote for Santa Barbara as a city you love under the “Cities” category, and vote “Resorts & Hotels” for Santa Barbara South Coast businesses, including Goleta hotels. Let’s help our region win world-class recognition! To access the survey, please use the following link: https://www.cntraveler.com/rca/vote