2025 ANNUAL REPORT
EXHIBIT 1
WENDY HAASE-ROBERTS, CDME
President & CEO
ANALAURA BECERRA, CDME, CMP , CTA
Director of Sales
MARIA GONZALEZ, PDM, CTA
Content & Community Engagement Manager
about travel santa ana
staff
Travel Santa Ana is the official Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for Santa Ana.
Travel Santa Ana is dedicated to promoting the city as a desirable Orange County destination for business, leisure, meetings, sports, and group travel.
Travel Santa Ana is a nonprofit 501(c)(6),
funded by a 2% assessment implemented by the
Santa Ana Tourism Marketing District (SATMD). The SATMD is comprised of 17 hotels and motels with (70) rooms or more within the boundaries of the City of Santa Ana. The assessment is paid for by visitors who stay at those hotels and motels.
The SATMD was renewed for a 10-year term beginning January 1, 2026 - December 31, 2035.
2024-2026 Travel Santa Ana Board of Directors
Chair: Aaron Saliba, General Manager, Hotel Zessa a DoubleTree by Hilton Vice Chair: Vacant
Treasurer: Ryan Chase, Owner,
4th Street Market
Secretary: Erin Warady, Marketing Chair/CMO, Cannabis Chamber of Commerce At-Large:
Frank Atayde, General Manager,
Holiday Inn Orange County Airport
De’andre Gipson, General Manager, Courtyard Costa Mesa South Coast Metro Marc Morley, Economic Development Manager, City of Santa Ana Cory Sams, General Manager, MainPlace Mall
Quinn Su, General Manager, Orange County Hotel
Marketing Advisory Group
Logan Crow, Executive Director & Founder, Frida Cinema/DTSA Artwalk Paul Eakins,
Public Affairs Information Officer, City of Santa Ana
Cori Lantz,
Recreation & Community Services Supervisor, City of Santa Ana Parks & Recreation Scott Melvin, Vice President of School Relations, Mater Dei High School K
elly Radomske, Vice President of External Affairs, Bowers Museum AnnaSophia Servin, Public Information Officer, John Wayne Airport Maribel Silva, Operations Coordinator, Santa Ana Zoo
Daniela V
alencia, Marketing Director, MainPlace Mall
Jason (J-Bird) Venable, Co-Founder, Suavecito
Erin W
arady, Marketing Chair/CMO, Cannabis Chamber of Commerce Cherie Whyte, Vice President, Marketing, Discovery Cube EXHIBIT 1
The Santa Ana Tourism Marketing District (TMD) includes lodging businesses, existing and in the future, available for public occupancy within the boundaries of the City of Santa Ana. The boundary, as shown in the map below, currently includes seventeen (17) lodging businesses that have seventy (70) rooms or more. There are no proposed changes to the TMD boundary.
EUCLID ST.
NEWHOPE ST.
FLOWER ST.
BROADWAYBROADWAY
MAIN ST.
1 st ST. 1 st ST.
FLOWER ST.
HARBOR BLVD.HARBOR BLVD.
FAIRVIEW ST.
FAIRVIEW ST.
RAITT ST.
GRAND AVE.
RAITT ST.
BRISTOL ST. BRISTOL ST.
FAIRVIEW ST.
EDINGER AVE.
MCFADDEN AVE.MCFADDEN AVE.
17th ST.
GARDEN GROVE BLVD.
SANTA ANA BLVD.
17th ST.
SANTA CLARA AVE.
TUSTIN AVE.
WARNER AVE.
DYER RD.
SEGERSTROM AVE.
MACARTHUR BLVD.
WARNER AVE.
405
55 55
22 22
CIVIC CENTER DR.
MAIN ST.
5 3 rd ST.
4 th ST.
boundaries
EXHIBIT 1
Name Location # Rooms Meeting Space
Best Western Plus Orange County Airport North 2700 Hotel Terrace Drive 148 1 Room, 750 sq. ft.
California Lodge Suites 2909 S. Bristol St. 181 Guestrooms only City Express by Marriott Santa Ana/
Orange County Airport 2720 Hotel Terrace Drive 121 1 Room, 400 sq. ft.
Comfort Inn & Suites Orange County John Wayne Airport 2620 Hotel Terrace Drive 127 Guestrooms only Courtyard Costa Mesa South Coast Metro 3002 S. Harbor Blvd. 145 3 Rooms, Largest 676 sq. ft. 1,553 sq. ft. total Courtyard Marriott Santa Ana 8 MacArthur Place 155 4 Rooms, Largest 3,953 sq. ft., 5,059 sq. ft. total Embassy Suites - Santa Ana Orange County Airport 1325 E. Dyer Road 301 9 Rooms, Largest 4,407 sq. ft., 7,629 sq. ft. total Holiday Inn Express & Suites Santa Ana Orange County 1600 E. 1st St. 161 8 Rooms ( 1 per floor), Each 600 sq. ft.
Holiday Inn Santa Ana Orange County Airport 2726 S. Grand Ave. 176 5 Rooms, Largest 1,866 sq. ft., 5,000 sq. ft. total Hotel Zessa a DoubleTree by Hilton 201 E. MacArthur Blvd. 253 5 rooms, Largest 7,308 sq. ft., 8,638 sq. ft. total La Quinta by Wyndham Orange County Airport 2721 Hotel Terrace Drive 181 Guestrooms only MainStay Suites Orange County John Wayne Airport 2701 Hotel Terrace Drive 176 Guestrooms only Motel 6 Santa Ana/Irvine Orange County Airport 1717 E. Dyer Road 150 Guestrooms only Motel 6 Santa Ana 1623 E. 1st St. 80 Guestrooms only
Orange County Hotel 7 Hutton Center Drive 168 3 rooms, Largest 1,848 sq. ft., 3,976 sq. ft. total Red Roof Inn Santa Ana 2600 N. Main St. 125 Guestrooms only Sonesta Simply Suites Orange County Airport 2600 S. Red Hill Ave. 122 Guestrooms only TOTAL GUESTROOMS 2,770
SANTA ANA HOTEL INVENTORY
EXHIBIT 1
Santa Ana Hotel Inventory: 2,770 rooms at 17 hotels
* Hampton Inn & Suites Santa Ana Orange County Airport rebranded to City Express b y Marriott Santa Ana/Orange County Airport Hotel Annual Revenue: Over $77 Million*
Hotel Visitor Tax: $9.5 Million
Tourism Marketing District Revenue: $1.5 Million
Hotel Average Daily Rate: $121.37 *
Hotel Occupancy: 70.8% *
hotel overview
*Includes 15 of the 17 TMD hotels. Santa Ana California Lodge and Red Roof Inn do not report to STR, the global leader in hospitality data benchmarking, analytics, and marketplace insights.
EXHIBIT 1
the
Community
v
itality
w
heel
It Starts With A Visit
You Need To Keep
The Wheel Turning and
Manage Its Speed
That is the
Work of a
Destination
Organization
From Visit,
To Live,
To Work,
To Invest
1.VISIT
If you built a place where
people want to visit, then
you have built a place
where people want to live.
4. invest
And if you built a place where
business and residents will invest,
then you have built a place where
people will want to visit.
2. live
And if you built a place
where people want to live,
then you have built a place
where people want to work.
3. work
And if you built a place
where people want to
work, then you have built
a place where business and
residents will invest.
the worK oF aD e S tination or G ani Z ation
EXHIBIT 1
2024 DireCt travel impaCtS to Santa ana
906,700 viSitorS YOY INCREASE OF 3.6%
3,110 SANTA ANA JOBS ARE SUPPORTED
BY VISITORS EQUALING $148 MILLION
IN WAGES TO SANTA ANA’S ECONOMY!
TOURISM MATTERS
$394.2 million
DireCt travel SpenDinG
YOY INCREASE OF 4.8%
$27.5 million
IN TAXES BY DIRECT
TRAVEL SPENDING
EXHIBIT 1
touriSm revenue helpS to Support:
ARTS &
CULTURE
PARKS & RECREATION PUBLIC SAFETY PUBLIC
INFRASTRUCTURE
NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES
Santa Ana households would pay $170 more a year in local taxes without visitor-generated taxes received by local government. $109 million
Dining
$96 million
Accommodations
$79 million
Arts, entertainment,
& recreation
$59 million
Local
transportation
& gas
$35 million
Retail sales
$17 million
Food stores
These numbers are estimates from
the
Economic Impact of Travel report, Calendar Year 2024, a tourism economic impact study conducted by Dean Runyan Associates for Santa Ana.
SANTA ANA’S
MAJOR VISITOR
SPENDING
CA
TEGORIES
TOURISM MATTERS
EXHIBIT 1
AverAge DAily visitor spenD: $57 ( A ll m A rkets)
TOP 10 VISITOR MARKETS % VISITORS % VISITOR SPEND DAILY SPEND * San Diego, CA 16% 5% $49
Los Angeles, CA 15% 3% $40
San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA 9% 10% $46
Phoenix-Prescott, AZ 5% 5% $52
Las Vegas, NV 3% 3% $56
Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto, CA 3% 4% $45
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-San Luis Obispo, CA 3% 1% $56 Bakersfield, CA 2% 1% $49
New York, NY 2% 3% $51
Fresno-Visalia, CA 2% 2% $64
*Does not include accommodation spend.
SAN FRA NCISCO NEW YORK
CHICAGO
DALLAS
HOUSTON
PHOENIX
TIJUANA
LAS VEGAS
top origin mArkets
Visitor data tracked by Zartico. International data no longer available. $151K+ 41%
11%
11%
8%
5%
3%
20%$101K - 150K
$81K - 100K
$61K - 80K
$41K - 60K
$21K - 40K
LESS THAN 20K
viSitor SpenDinG By houSehol D inCome
35-44 35-44 21% 21%
20% 20%
20% 20%
14% 14%
14% 14%
12% 12%
45-54 45-54
25-34 25-34
65+ 65+
55-64 55-64
18-24 18-24
viSitor SpenDinG By aGe % o F vi S itor S By
C
hil
D
ren
in
hou
S
ehol
D
CHILDREN IN HOUSEHOLD
YES NO
40% 60%
visitor profile
EXHIBIT 1
mission
To share Santa Ana with the world.
values
Passion
We are passionate in
our efforts to strengthen
our community’s
economic vitality.
inclusiveness
We are diverse
and inclusive.
All are welcome.
collaboration
We value and respect
each other, and recognize
we are stronger when we
work together.
relevance
We are valued in our
community for our
leadership, expertise,
and integrity.
awareness
We are aware of our
community’s cultural
heritage and history and
continue to ask questions
and learn.
vision
Santa Ana is the authentic & welcoming Orange County experience.
EXHIBIT 1
strategic plan
2025-2027
OBJECTIVE 1:
Refine and Amplify Messaging
to Target Markets
OBJECTIVE 2:
Leverage Events and Festivals to
Drive Overnight Stays
OBJECTIVE 3:
Reinforce Partnerships to
Extend Effectiveness
OBJECTIVE 4:
Foster Community Pride to
Boost Santa Ana’s Reputation
INDICATORS
• Y ear-over-year growth of total
economic impact
•
Y
ear-over-year growth in room
nights
•
Increase in City-issued film
permits
INDICATORS
• Y ear-over-year increase in room
nights attributable to events
& festivals
•
Y
ear-over-year growth in count
of established event promoter
partnerships
•
Annual use of at least 90% of
Opportunity Funds
•
Gro
wth in earned media value
on Santa Ana food/beverage
coverage
INDICATORS
• Y ear-over-year growth of local
businesses participating in
incentive program
•
Y
ear-over-year growth in room
nights attributable to City-
supported organizations, events,
and sports
INDICATORS
• Gro wth in Tourism Academy
participation
•
Increase resident sentiment on
City b
y 2026
•
Gro
w Health & Safety score on
stakeholder survey from current
lowest score of 2.25
STRATEGIES
• Conduct a visitor study to build
a data-informed basis for market
targeting
•
Amplify our message to Me
xico
and Canada
•
I
dentify and focus on meeting
market targets that work for our
hotels and destination
•
Explore partnerships to le
verage
non-City owned sports facilities to
expand sports tourism
•
P
osition Santa Ana as a vibrant
film destination
•
Adopt a readiness stance for the
e
xpansion of cannabis tourism
STRATEGIES
• Further de velop relationships with
event organizers who have the
capacity and desire to grow events
•
Explore the creation of a mural
festival in Santa Ana
• Explore the creation of mul
ti-day
events that are aligned with
the diversity and creativity of
the community and our
destination brand
•
Partner with the City and Parks &
Recreation to develop a Santa Ana-
focused World Cup fan fest in 2026
•
Continue efforts to promote
Santa Ana as a food and beverage
destination
STRATEGIES
• W ork with tourism partners
including restaurants, retail, and
attractions to develop an incentive
program for hotel guests
•
Ex
ecute a MOU with the City to
assign stays within Santa Ana for
City-supported organizations,
events, and sports
STRATEGIES
• Create an a wareness campaign
for residents promoting Santa
Ana and highlighting the work of
Travel Santa Ana
•
W
ork with Economic Development
and the City to help promote and
build local pride
•
Continue to promote Santa Ana as
a safe and clean destination
EXHIBIT 1
• Amplify audience exposure to the brand across all touchpoints of the travel planning journey. •
Cul
tivate third-party meeting planner relationships that amplify and magnify the city’s sales impact in the marketplace, including through attendance at sales missions and tradeshows. • Develop creative marketing campaigns that drive awareness and bookings. • Implement a strategic marketing mix that drives conversions among target demographics. • Test and track each marketing initiative to optimize performance. • Adjust campaigns on an ongoing basis to achieve key performance metrics and maximize ROI. • Build awareness of Santa Ana’s assets and the destination through storytelling via video, imagery, and content. •
P
osition Santa Ana as a desirable Southern California meeting destination for appropriate domestic and international groups.
• Drive measurable web traffic through a mix of earned, paid, and owned media. •
Support hotels’ efforts to increase bookings b
y prospecting select drive-centric geographic markets, high inbound air-traffic locations, and small-market states.
SaleS anD
mar
K
etin
G
Community
ali
G
nment
S u S taina B le
or
G
ani
Z
ation
goals
strategies
EXHIBIT 1
6 S ite vi S it S
1,080 appointmentS26
traDeShowS
$6.6 million
in potential hotel revenue95
qualiFieD leaDS
Canadian travel professionals from Alberta Motor Association (AMA) enjoy 4th Street Market.
Client events & FAm tours
Hosted client events in Guadalajara, Monterrey, Mexico City, Miami, Sacramento, Toronto, and Vancouver, including a Mexico City presentation for 130 meeting planners from HelmsBriscoe, Maritz, and American Express, with VIPs from Brand USA, Visit California, and the U.S. Embassy Department of Commerce.
Additionally, hosted four FAM tours—two for Mexican media and two for Canadian travel professionals, including Alberta Motor Association (Canada’s AAA) agents. opportunity FunDs
Incentive program designed to attract group business
and drive overnight hotel stays while helping Santa
Ana compete with other destinations.
Generated 1,480 room nights
$350,000 in hotel revenue
engAgement
• 130 Aeroméxico travel professionals
hosted for breakfast
& a custom Santa Ana Lotería game
• 95 Aeroméxico agents hosted for a webinar
• 11 Mexico radio interviews
• 6 interviews with travel-related media
• 1 Mexico City TV interview
el CarruSel
el mariaChi
sales highlights
Canadian travel professionals experience 4th Street Market. Interview with Conexión Global.
EXHIBIT 1
GoWest
January
Location: Palm Springs
Audience: International Buyers (Tour
Operators and Online Travel Agents)
Appointments: 48 (including Mexico,
Colombia, and Brazil)
Outcome: Travel Santa Ana connected hotels
with Foreign International Traveler (FIT)
partners, resulting in one hotel increasing
bookings through Nuitee.
Brand USA Canada Mission
April–May
Locations: Toronto • Montreal • Calgary
• Edmonton • Vancouver
Appointments & Presentations:
154 across five cities
Additional: Included one presentation
in French.
Visit California Reverse
Mexico Mission
May
Location: Oakland
Appointments: 20 Mexican Tour Operators
IBTM Americas
August
Location: Mexico City
Appointments: 41 Latin American
Tour Operators
Additional: Presentation to 130
meeting planners
Visit California Roadshow Midwest
November
Locations: Chicago • Kansas City
Appointments:
• 49 (Chicago)
• 50 (Kansas City)
Visit Anaheim Canada Roadshow
November
Locations: Calgary • Edmonton • Vancouver
Meeting Planner Presentations:
• 88 (Calgary)
• 136 (Edmonton)
• 150 (Vancouver)
CalSAE Seasonal Spectacular
December
Location: Sacramento
Appointments: 9
Additional:
•
Breakf
ast sponsorship for 250 qualified
association buyers
•
Hosted custom Santa Ana Lotería with
118 attendees
• Associations West Seasonal Spectacular
• California Cup
• California DMO Alliance
• Connect Marketplace
• Global Meetings Industry Day
•
Meeting Professionals International (MPI) –
Arizona Chapter
•
Meeting Professionals International (MPI) –
Southern California Chapter
• World Education Congress
• MeetingsLive West
• Northstar’ s Independent Planners
& Southwest
• Planner Connect
• Small Market Meetings
• Smart Meetings West & Southwest
• Small Market Meetings
• Smart Meetings National
• SMERF Xpress
• Student Youth Travel Association
• TEAMS
ADDitionAl roAD & trADe shows AttenDeD
road & trade show highlights
EXHIBIT 1
weBSite paGeviewS: 614,476
top 5 pAges:
1. Your Guide to the Heart of Orange County
2. Santa Ana Events
3. Fun Things to Do in Santa Ana, CA
4. Santa Ana Public Art Guide
5. Digital Visitor Guide
YOY INCREASE OF 7.45%
marketing & pr highlights
partner reFerralS = 3,543
t
ran
S
lation Feature = 156 u
S
er
S
monthly newsletter
1,572 Subscribers
280 New Subscribers
7.3 Bookings
$1,667 in hotel revenue
yoy inCreaSe oF 53.8%
visitors guiDe
Mailed: 127
Downloaded: 545
(518 English, 27 Spanish)
Impressions: 9,772
(4,377 English, 5,395 Spanish)
Printed guide is distributed at
California Welcome Centers, Santa Ana hotels,
John Wayne Airport, and other locations. The
digital version is available in English and Spanish.
1,904 scans
Top scanned campaigns:
• San Diego Cannabis Postcard
• Michelada Guide
•
W
ebsite Promotional
Table Tent
•
Spanish Visitor Guide
Rack Card
trACkAble qr C o D es
EXHIBIT 1
marketing & pr highlights
• Zizotravel — 2.4M Instagram followers
• CoupleInTheKitchen — 89.7K Instagram followers
• UrbanBlissLife — 42.4K Instagram followers
• arlennemx — 29.5K Instagram followers
• Ommmar — 28.1K Instagram followers
Hosted four Mexico-based travel writers. The
itinerary featured the Bowers Museum, Santa Ana
Zoo, Lyon Air Museum, Heritage Museum of Orange
County, exploration of Downtown Santa Ana, and
dining at Benchmark, Chapter One, Hidden House,
Royal Khyber, 4th Street Market, and Santa Ana
Brunch Club.
RESULT: Santa Ana was featured on the television
program Conexión Global in the segment,
“Entrevista exclusiva: Santa Ana revela sus secretos
mejor guardados.”
eArneD meDiA
• American Roads and Global Highways, EFE: Servicios
• El Souvenir • El Tiempo • Europapress • Expreso
• La Prensa Grafica • Meetings Today • North Hills
Monthly • Report News.MX • Small Market Meetings
• Smart Meetings • The Passenger
• Travel Itch Radio • Travel Times
top inFluenCers
& me
D
i
A
hoste
D
Hosted four members of the North American Travel
Writers Association. The itinerary showcased Santa
Ana’s unique culinary scene, with a special focus on
its michelada offerings, including Alta Baja Market.
Hosted five members of the International Food,
Wine & Travel Writers Association. The itinerary
included lunch at Alta Baja Market; a mini piñata-
making workshop at Collective2one9; dinner at
Benchmark; a public art activity; Lotería at Cerveza
Cito; coffee at Café Cultura; and visits to the Old
Orange County Courthouse and the Bowers Museum.
SCAN TO VIEW
Met with 19 media at
Visit California’s
event in San Francisco.
EXHIBIT 1
Impressions: 1.6M
Engagements: 65.7K
Post Link Clicks: 6.5K
Engagement Rate: 4.1%
YOY INCREASE OF 22.7%
overview
Campaigns = 63
Overall Spend = $17.1K
Impressions = 4.37M
Link Clicks = 133.7K
Cost-Per-Click = $0.09
Click-Thru Rate (CTR) = 4.26% ThruPlays = 81.5K
Cost Per ThruPlay = $0.21
Top Producing Ads or Boosts
Public Art Guide
Mother’s Day in Santa Ana
Celebrate Day of the Dead
Travel Santa Ana, Mexico
viDeo stAts
Impressions = 29,155
Views = 14.5K
Hours Watched = 123.7
Impressions CTR = 5.7%
Top Performing Videos
Always Bet on Us - Proud Santaneros Series 1
Discover Santa Ana - Destination Video
Santa Ana Is United by Originality® - :30 Destination Video
SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
#TRAVELSANTAANa • @TRAVELSANTAANA
EXHIBIT 1
Expedia Soccer World
Championship Co-op Campaign
• 5,651 Room Nights
• $758,535 in Hotel Revenue
• ROAS $19.1
“Always-On” Campaign
• 33,416 Room Nights
• $4,461,749 in Hotel Revenue
• ROAS $26.1
OC Campaigns
•
47,512 Room Nights
• $6,434,094 in Hotel Revenue
• ROAS $64.1
CreAtive perFormAnCe
CREATIVE SPEND DELIVERED IMPRESSIONS DELIVERED CLICKS CTR 160x600 - Desktop $116.96 17,994 119 0.66%
300x250 - Mobile $128.95 19,839 175 0.88%
300x250 - Desktop $857.97 131,995 186 0.14%
300x250 - Mobile $1,726.76 265,655 2,748 1.03%
300x600 - Desktop $227.39 34,983 140 0.40%
320x50 - Mobile $638.94 98,299 285 0.29%
320x50 - Mobile $5,908.75 909,038 3,671 0.40%
728x90 - Mobile $42.78 6,581 50 0.76%
728x90 - Desktop $744.04 114,468 148 0.13%
728x90 - Mobile $375.65 57,792 613 1.06%
970x250 - Desktop $65.40 10,062 113 1.12%
Creatives Grand Total $10,833.59 1,666,706 8,248 0.49%
Targeted all AeroMexico flights inbound and
outbound from Los Angeles (LAX) and Tijuana
(TIJ) airports.
•
12,636
passengers saw
30-second destination video
• 10,512 watched the video
• 83.2% CTR*
•
10,103
completed watching
the video
• 80% action rate
*Benchmark CTR is 31%
advertising highlights
The digital campaign strategically targeted visitors in key markets to drive destination awareness and inspire travelers planning a Disneyland visit to stay in Santa Ana. The campaign ran from November through December 2025.
EXHIBIT 1
Every building has its own personality. Each Street
is totally different. I just love hearing the sounds of the city: the cars, the music, the people talking.
It’s just very rich and diverse. I love this city!
-Delilah Snell, owner Alta Baja Market
ADVERTISING
PRINT AND DIGITAL
EXHIBIT 1
collateral
original
IS AN
Contact: AnaLaura Becerra, Director of Sales, [email protected] www.travelsantaana.com/group-travel/sports
• @TravelSantaAna • #TravelSantaAna
STAY EAT
4th Street Market
McFadden Public Market
Variety of Restaurants Throughout the City
lEArn plAY
Bowers Museum
Heritage Museum of Orange County
Lyon Air Museum
Discovery Cube
FunParx
Santa Ana Zoo
All Hotels Within a 20-Minute Drive from
Most Sports Facilities in Orange County
Bus Parking Available at Most Hotels
Complimentary Breakfast
Available at Select Hotels
Travel Santa Ana
1631 W. Sunflower Ave., C-35
Santa Ana, CA 92704
www.travelsantaana.com
Promotional
Postcard
Distributed
throughout
San Diego
Point-of-Interests
Map Distributed
throughout
California
“Tourism Matters” Brochure
Banner for Mexico-based Trade Shows
Stationary
Meeting Planner & Sports Planner Handout
EXHIBIT 1
Launched the Visitor Loyalty Program, offering exclusive discounts and promotions to guests staying at Hotel Zessa, a DoubleTree by Hilton, and the Holiday Inn Santa Ana–Orange County Airport. The offers are promoted through a dedicated TravelSantaAna.com landing page, accessible via a QR code provided at hotel check-in, and are designed to encourage visitors to explore Santa Ana’s attractions, restaurants, and retail establishments. Participating partners currently include the Bowers Museum, Chapter One: The Modern Local, Discovery Cube, Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, Mongiello’s Pizza & Wings, the Santa Ana Zoo, Tacompadre, The Frida Cinema, and The Pizza Press.
Since launching the Santa Ana Enthusiast program in December 2024, more than 275 Santa Ana city employees, hoteliers, tourism partners, and residents have become official Santa Ana Enthusiasts! The complimentary program, designed by Travel Santa Ana, provides an overview of the tourism industry’s importance to the community and highlights what makes Santa Ana unique—helping participants better promote the destination to visitors and garner a deeper appreciation for our city.
Santa Ana’s “Hidden Gems,” a Peter Greenberg Worldwide Productions segment featuring Cerveza Cito, Lyon Air Museum, the Santa Ana Zoo, and THEM Skates, is available on Apple TV+ and Amazon.
SPECIAL PROJECTS
EXHIBIT 1
Ongoing
TRAVEL SANTA ANA STICKER PACK #3
Just peel and stick anywhere you want to share your love of Santa Ana! @TravelSantaAna
@TravelSantaAna
@TravelSantaAna
Travel Santa Ana successfully registered the five unique signatures along with our tagline “United by Originality®” Travel Santa Ana included additional local business owners and community members in our ongoing Proud Santanero video series.
Locals were filmed answering questions about what makes them a “Proud Santanero” and what they recommend to visitors.
In the continuation of our third series, our locals include:
Duane Greenleaf & Pedro Arizmendi, Owners, Benchmark • Mike Moreno, Owner, Santos Pizza Ana Laura Padilla, Owner, Perla Mexican Cuisine • Teresa Rodriguez Nieves, Owner, Sarinana’s Tamale Factory The video series is promoted on YouTube and a designated website landing page. orange county
RESTAURANTweek
SPECIAL PROJECTS
Created custom Santa Ana
stickers and pins featuring
iconic buildings, attractions,
events, and more.
Stickers
and Pins
travel Santaana. Com
travel Santaana. Com
ColleCtible enAmel pin
travel Santaana. Com
The annual Blading Cup brings skating competitors
from over 20 countries to Downtown Santa Ana.
ColleCtiBle enamel pin
EXHIBIT 1
Mexico Digital Ad Campaign
Michelada Guide
Mexico Digital Ad Campaign
2025 Official Santa Ana Visitors Guide
Travel Santa Ana 2024 Annual Report
Culinary Passport
Michelada Guide
2025 Official Santa Ana Visitors Guide
Mexico Digital Ad Campaign
Proud Santaneros
Culinary Passport
Michelada Guide
Travel Santa Ana 2024
Annual Report
2025 Official Santa Ana
Visitors Guide
Al
ways Bet on Us:
Proud Santanero Series 2
Discover Santa Ana
Destination Video
Culinary Passport Culinary Passport
Mexico Digital Ad Campaign
Michelada Guide
2025 Official Santa Ana Visitors Guide
Top 10 Leading
Agencies of the Year - Ranked #6
Discover Santa Ana Destination Video
Mexico Digital Ad Campaign
Public Art Guide
Santa Ana Signatures & Branding
Best Brand Identity
– Santa Ana Signatures
Proud Santanero Campaign
Travel Santa Ana Named One
of the Best CVB/DMOs
Travel Santa Ana
awards
EXHIBIT 1
The improvements and activities provided for fiscal year 2025 are consistent with the Management District Plan (Plan). annual service Plan
Assessment funds will be spent to provide specific benefits conferred or privileges granted directly to the assessed lodging businesses. These specific benefits or privileges granted to assessed lodging businesses are not provided to non-assessed businesses and do not exceed the reasonable cost to the City of conferring the specific benefits or granting the privileges. The privileges and services provided with the TMD funds are sales and marketing programs available only to assessed businesses.
A service plan budget has been developed to deliver services that benefit the assessed businesses. A detailed annual budget will be developed and approved by TSA. The table below illustrates the initial annual budget allocations..
Although actual revenues will fluctuate due to market conditions, the proportional allocations of the budget shall remain the same. However, the City and the TSA Board shall have the authority to adjust budget allocations between the categories by no more than fifteen percent (15%) of the total budget per year. For example, the City and TSA may fluctuate the TMD’s budget allocation for the Sales and Marketing category from its current seventy percent (70%) to a maximum budget allocation of eighty-five percent (85%) or down to a minimum budget allocation of fifty-five percent (55%). A description of the proposed improvements and activities for the initial year of operation is below. The same activities are proposed for subsequent years. In the event of a legal challenge against the TMD, any and all assessment funds may be used for the costs of defending the TMD. In the first year of operation, the costs of creating the TMD may be repaid by deducting repayment funds proportionally from budget categories.
Each budget category includes all costs related to providing that service, in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Procedures (GAAP). For example, the sales and marketing budget includes the cost of staff time dedicated to overseeing and implementing the sales and marketing program.
Staff time dedicated purely to administrative tasks is allocated to the administrative portion of the budget. The costs of an individual staff member may be allocated to multiple budget categories, as appropriate.
The staffing levels necessary to provide the services below will be determined by TSA on an as-needed basis. sales anD MarKetinG
• A sales and mark eting program will promote assessed businesses and Santa Ana as tourist, meeting, and event destinations. The sales and marketing program will have a central theme of promoting Santa Ana as a desirable place for overnight visits. The program will have the goal of increasing overnight visitation and room night sales at assessed businesses, and may include the following activities:
•
Internet mark
eting efforts to increase awareness and optimize internet presence to drive overnight visitation and room sales to assessed businesses; •
Print ads in magazines and ne
wspapers, television ads, and radio ads targeted at potential visitors to drive overnight visitation and room sales to assessed businesses;
•
A
ttendance of trade shows to promote overnight visitation to assessed businesses; •
Sales blitzes for assessed businesses;
•
F
amiliarization tours of assessed businesses;
•
Preparation and production of collateral promotional materials such as brochures, fl yers and maps featuring assessed businesses as well as all events, attractions, and reasons to visit (Stay, Shop, Dine, Play); •
A
ttendance of professional industry conferences and affiliation events to promote assessed businesses; •
Lead generation activities designed to attract tourists and group e vents to assessed businesses;
•
Director of Sales and General Manager meetings to plan and coordinate tourism promotion efforts for assessed businesses; and •
De
velopment and maintenance of a website designed to promote overnight visitation to the city and promote Santa Ana as a tourism destination highlighting the assessed businesses, as well as all events, attractions, and reasons to visit (Stay, Shop, Dine, Play) to increase overnight visitation at assessed lodging businesses.
aDMinistration anD oPerations
The administration and operations portion of the budget shall be utilized for administrative staffing costs, office costs, advocacy, and other general administrative costs such as insurance, legal, and accounting fees. citY aDMinistration Fee
The City of Santa Ana shall be paid a fee equal to two percent (2%) of the amount of assessment collected, to cover its costs of collection and administration.
continGencY/reserve
The budget includes a contingency line item to account for uncollected assessments, if any. If there are contingency funds collected, they may be held in a reserve fund or utilized for other program, administration or renewal costs at the discretion of the TSA Board. Policies relating to contributions to the reserve fund, the target amount of the reserve fund, and expenditure of monies from the reserve fund shall be set by the TSA Board. Contingency/reserve funds may be spent on District programs or administrative and renewal costs in such proportions as determined by the TSA Board. The reserve fund may be used for the costs of renewing the TMD.
financial report
EXHIBIT 1
2025 travel Santa ana BuDGet
$1.9 million
2025 Santa ana touriSm
m
ar
K
etin
G
Di
S
tri
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t
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evenue
$1.5 million
Category Estimated Budget Actual
Revenue
Tourism Marketing District Revenue
Non-assessment funding not anticipated. $1.5 Million $1.5 Million Expenditures
Sales & Marketing $1.7 Million $1.6 Million
Administration & Operations $198,081 $190,132
Carryover Revenue $285,000 $276,300
City Administrative Fee $31,000 $31,000
TRAVEL SANTA ANA BUDGET $1,915,574 $1,820,137
RESERVES TOTAL = $844,275
SALES & MARKETING: 80% RESERVES: 8%
CITY FEE: 2% ADMINISTRATION: 10%
In 2025, Travel Santa Ana
invested nearly $19,000 to
directly support local hotels and
tourism partners by hosting travel
writers, influencers, and meeting
planners, along with other
strategic promotional experiences
designed to drive visitation and
elevate the destination’s visibility.
financial report
EXHIBIT 1
assessMent
There is no change in the method and basis of levying the assessment. The annual assessment rate is two percent (2%) of gross short-term room rental revenue. Based on the lack of benefit received, assessments will not be collected on revenue resulting from: stays of more than thirty (30) consecutive days; stays by any officer or employee of a foreign government who is exempt by reason of express provision of federal law or international treaty; and stays by any nonprofit organization that, as the result of a disaster, provides at its own expense hotel or motel shelter to any victim of a disaster.
The term “gross room rental revenue,” as used herein means: the total consideration charged, whether or not received, for the occupancy of a space in a lodging business valued in money, whether to be received in money, goods, labor, or otherwise, including all receipts, cash, credits, property and services of any kind or nature, without any deduction whatsoever. Gross room rental revenue shall not include any federal, state, or local taxes collected, including but not limited to hotel visitor taxes. The assessment is levied upon and is a direct obligation of the assessed lodging business.
However, the assessed lodging business may, at its discretion, pass the assessment on to transients. The amount of assessment, if passed on to a transient, shall be disclosed in advance and separately stated from the amount of rent charged and any other applicable taxes, and each transient shall receive a receipt for payment from the business. The assessment shall be disclosed as the “SATMD Assessment.” The assessment is imposed solely upon, and remains the sole obligation of, the assessed lodging business, even if it is passed on to transients. The assessment shall not be considered revenue for any purposes, including calculation of hotel visitor taxes.
The City will continue to be responsible for collecting the assessment on a monthly basis (including any delinquencies, interest, and overdue charges) from each assessed lodging business. The City shall take all reasonable efforts to collect the assessments from each assessed lodging business. The City shall continue to forward the assessments collected to Travel Santa Ana.
Interest and Overdue Charges
The TMD shall reimburse the City for any costs associated with collecting unpaid assessments. If sums in excess of the delinquent TMD assessment are sought to be recovered in the same collection action by the City, the TMD shall bear its pro rata share of such collection costs.
Assessed businesses which are delinquent in paying the assessment shall be responsible for paying:
1. Original Delinquency Ov
erdue Charge: Any lodging business which fails to remit any assessment within the time required shall pay an overdue charge of ten percent (10%) of the amount of the assessment in addition to the amount of the assessment.
2. Continued Delinquency Compounding Ov
erdue Charge: Any lodging business which fails to remit any delinquent remittance on or before a period of thirty (30) days following the date on which the remittance first became delinquent shall pay an additional delinquency overdue charge of ten percent (10%) of the amount of the assessment and the ten percent (10%) overdue charge first imposed. Any lodging business which fails to remit any delinquent remittance on or before a period of sixty (60) days following the date on which the remittance first became delinquent shall pay an additional delinquency overdue charge of ten percent (10%) of the amount of the assessment and the ten percent (10%) overdue charge first imposed together with the additional ten percent (10%) overdue charge imposed.
3. Audit Deficiency Compounding Ov
erdue Charge: If, upon audit by the City, a lodging business is found to be deficient in either its return or its remittance or both, the City shall immediately assess the lodging business the amount of the net deficiency plus an audit deficiency overdue charge of ten percent (10%) of the amount of the net deficiency. If said lodging business’s remittance was deficient for a period of greater than thirty (30) days following the date on which remittance was first delinquent, said lodging business shall pay an additional audit deficiency overdue charge of ten percent (10%) of the net deficiency and the ten percent (10%) overdue charge first imposed. If said lodging business’s remittance was deficient for a period of greater than sixty (60) days following the date on which the remittance first became delinquent, said lodging business shall pay an additional audit deficiency overdue charge of ten percent (10%) of the amount of the assessment and the ten percent (10%) overdue charge first imposed together with the additional ten percent (10%) overdue charge imposed
4. Fraud: If the City determines that the nonpa
yment of any remittance due under this Plan is due to fraud, an overdue charge of twenty-five percent (25%) of the amount of the assessment shall be added thereto in addition to the overdue charges stated in subsections (1) and (2) of this section.
5. Interest: In addition to the o
verdue charges imposed, any lodging business who fails to remit any assessment imposed by this Plan shall pay interest at the rate of one and one-half percent (1.50%) per month or fraction thereof on the amount of the assessment, exclusive of overdue charges, from the date on which the remittance first became delinquent until paid.
6. Ov
erdue Charges Merged with Assessment: Every overdue charge imposed and such interest as accrues under the provisions of this section shall become a part of the assessment herein required to be paid. financial report
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www.travelsantaana.com
#TravelSantaAna @TravelSantaAna
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