DATE: MAY 6, 2025
DEPARTMENT: Community development
FROM: Lisa brinton, DirectoR
TITLE: Salinas California welcome center QuarterLY REPORT RECOMMENDED MOTION:
No action required; this item is for informational purposes only.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
On October 22, 2024, City Council approved the annual Agreement between the City of Salinas and the Salinas Valley TBV, Inc. to operate the California Welcome Center (CWC). City Council also directed staff to continue to provide quarterly updates on CWC monthly operations and financial reporting to the Finance Committee. Staff updated the SVTVB reporting requirements and established a reporting template that was used beginning October 2024 to include more quantitative data such as daily visitor count, social media posts, and special events hosted which has been translated to an estimated number of overnight stays based on the TID revenue received. A summary of Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Quarter 3, Fiscal Year 2024-2025 to date, and Fiscal Years 2023-2024 and 2024-2023 Quarters 1-3 (fiscal year-over-year) is provided below.
DISCUSSION:
January 2025 – March 2025 Reporting
For Quarter 3, the SVTVB received a total TID passthrough of $19,834.65 and provided monthly documentation of CWC operations (Exhibit A) that includes, but is not limited to:
the number of visitors to the CWC including groups (on a daily basis), an itemized summary of marketing materials (whether presented electronically or on a physical medium such as paper or canvas) which provide information regarding potential lodging options within the City of Salinas, an itemized list of additional marketing materials used to attract visitors to the CWC or the Salinas area, a summary (when available) of how many printed materials were provided to visitors, the number of visitors to SVTVB’s website, and any additional information which can be collected or derived from collected data using formulas or software commonly utilized and accepted throughout the industry.
Highlights of Quarter 3 activities include:
Ongoing collaboration with various stakeholders such as the First Mayors House, Monterey & Salinas Valley Railroad Museum, and Friends of the Salinas Public Library to attract visitors to the Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC) and promote overnight stays.
Monthly Educational Tours to schools and Non-profit Organizations.
Actively engaged on social media to promote local and surrounding events keeping the community and visitors informed and involved. 1,209 total visitors in Quarter 3
303 visitors in January 2025
396 visitors in February 2025
511 visitors in March 2025
6,357 total website visits to the CWC website and Soul of CA website in Quarter 3 2,511 website visits in January 2025
2,001 website visits in February 2025
1,845 website visits in March 2025
Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Quarters 1 to 3
Highlights of Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Quarters 1 to 3 activities include:
Actively engaged on social media to promote local and surrounding events keeping the community and visitors informed and involved. 3,985 total visitors
20,708 total website visits
Exhibit B provides a visual summary of the number of visitors and website posts for Fiscal Year 2024-2025, Quarters 1-3. During this reporting period, the SVTVB received a total TID passthrough of $74,325.24.
Year over Year: Fiscal Year 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 Quarters 1 to 3 Highlights of Fiscal Year 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 Quarters 1 to 3 activities include:
Actively engaged on social media to promote local and surrounding events keeping the community and visitors informed and involved.
Number of Visitors
FY 2023-2024 Quarters 1-3: 2,792
FY 2024-2025 Quarters 1-3: 3,603
Number of Website Visits
FY 2023-2024 Quarters 1-3: 24,128
FY 2024-2025 Quarters 1-3: 20,088
Exhibit C provides a visual summary of the number of visitors and website posts for Year over Year for Fiscal Years 2023-2024 and 2024-2025, Quarters 1-3. The SVTVB received a total TID passthrough of $74,325.24 in Fiscal Year 2024-2025 (Quarters 1 to 3) compared to $ 90,000 in 2023-2024.
The SVTVB schedules monthly meetings with city staff, Monterey County Convention and Visitor Bureau and other stakeholders to collaborate on strategies aimed at boosting overnight stays within the City of Salinas. The following strategies have been discussed and some have been implemented:
MCCVB reaching out to hoteliers to have an open discussion on ways to improve overnight stays within Salinas.
Communication and sharing of event information for events within the City to be promoted by both SVTVB and MCCVB.
Sharing current programs and projects to find ways to partner and enhance outcomes.
FISCAL AND SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT:
This item has no impact to the General Fund. The Agreement is funded from TID assessment collected and retained by the City between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, minus 1% to cover administrative costs.
ATTACHMENTS:
Exhibit A: 2024-2025 Quarter 3 Monthly Reports
Exhibit B: 2024-2025 Quarters 1, 2, and 3 Summary Report Exhibit C: Year-over-Year Summary Report
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CITY OF SALINASFinance CommitteeCITY OF SALINASFinance Committee
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