This week in Santa Cruz County business: Tourism officials focusing on regional visitors amid rising fuel costs; Diversity Center unionizes

Quick Take

Jessica M. Pasko takes the pulse of Santa Cruz County tourism ahead of the crucial summer visitor season, notes another local unionization effort and relays names, dates and numbers to know from the county business scene.

Each week, we’re taking a closer look at the movers and shakers, the growth of industries and what’s really driving the Santa Cruz County economy. I’ll be spotlighting some of the biggest areas for opportunity, updates on local development and all things underpinning the regional business scene each Wednesday.

Got ideas? Send them my way to news@lookoutlocal.com with “Business News” in the subject line.

Rising fuel costs, FIFA World Cup factor into tourism outlook for summer 2026

High gas and jet fuel prices could prompt more Californians to scale back vacation plans in favor of closer destinations, which could boost tourism in Santa Cruz County this summer.

“I think we’ll see a lot more in-state and regional traffic [this summer] and less from other parts of the state,” said Terence Concannon, CEO of Visit Santa Cruz County, the county’s tourism marketing organization. “We [may be able to] capitalize on some travelers who might have flown elsewhere; instead, driving to Santa Cruz may be the more affordable choice.”

Concannon expects the numbers for summer 2026 to be roughly in line with what local officials saw last summer, when tariffs and immigration concerns put a damper on some international visitors’ plans, especially those from Canada. Travels from Canada remain down, and Concannon said that’s unlikely to change until political tensions between the two countries ease. Mexican tourists, on the other hand, are continuing to come to Santa Cruz County and represent the largest base of international tourism locally.

While the organization has ramped up efforts to bring in international tourists, in-state visitors remain the sector’s bread and butter. Last summer, more than half of visitors came from other parts of California, with those from the greater San Francisco Bay Area representing the largest share.

Credit: Visit Santa Cruz County

This year, tourism officials are putting a lot of their marketing muscle behind the FIFA World Cup, which is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to Los Angeles and the Bay Area this summer, including to six matches scheduled for Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Concannon said the organization has “pulled out all the stops” with its “Kick Off Santa Cruz” marketing campaign and it expects to see a lot of people partake in local watch parties. That’s likely to make for a busy June, with college and high school graduations also on the schedule.

Across the U.S., World Cup events thus far aren’t having the impact on hotels that officials previously anticipated, with room bookings lighter than expected in the cities hosting tournament matches. Visit Santa Cruz County connected seven local hotels with a company tasked with managing hotel blocks for FIFA, and Concannon said he expects to roll many of those blocks back.

High fuel prices could also encourage visitors seeking more affordable options to look to state parks and other natural attractions, according to Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks.

“State parks and beaches are treasures that draw people from around the world, though we know that most visitors are local or live within a few hours’ drive,” said Peg Danielson, the organization’s operations director. “In the past we’ve seen that when the cost of living increases, a trip to the beach or a hike in the redwoods has been a more attractive alternative than a destination trip.”

This summer, Friends of State Parks is once again providing a shuttle program at Big Basin Redwoods State Park to help when the main day-use parking lot fills up.

A view looking down into the open courtyard pool, which overlooks Main Beach and the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. — A view at La Bahia Hotel & Spa looking down into the open courtyard pool, which overlooks Main Beach and the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

On the flip side of budget travel, this summer marks the first for La Bahia Hotel & Spa, the luxury resort and spa that opened in Santa Cruz last September. Abel Barrera, director of sales and marketing, said bookings for this summer have been strong so far for leisure travels as well as corporate and social events. Milestone celebrations, such as birthdays, anniversaries and retirements, appear to be a major driver for visitors, he said. Like others in the local hospitality industry, this year’s targeted market will be those who live relatively close by.

“We are keenly focused on our California drive market, including San Francisco, the Peninsula and the South Bay,” said Barrera, in addition to Santa Cruz residents seeking a “staycation.” `

ICYMI: Santa Cruz Diversity Center’s staff members unionize

Some of the The Diversity Center staff and their supporters rally in support of unionization last month. Credit: Via Nic Laflin

Employees of The Diversity Center in Santa Cruz are now unionized, following a vote earlier this month.

Staff said the move came from a desire for higher wages and pay transparency in addition to concerns over workplace safety and protections for gender-affirming care.

For more than three decades, the nonprofit Diversity Center has advocated for LGBTQ+ residents in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, as well as providing services, education and events.

Ch-ch-changes

Santa Cruz professors elected to National Academy of Sciences: Two UC Santa Cruz professors are among this year’s electees to the National Academy of Sciences. Adina Paytan is a professor of earth and planetary sciences who has played a key role in wetland restoration. Douglas Lin, professor of astronomy and astrophysics, is a world-renowned theoretical astrophysicist. The National Academy of Sciences, established in the 1860s under President Abraham Lincoln, is a private, nonprofit society of scholars who advise the federal government on science and technology. New members are elected annually, in recognition of their original research and related achievements.
New secondhand store opens on Soquel: Thrift Inn opened this month at 2544 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. The family-run business’ hours are still in flux and will be posted weekly on its Instagram page.
Bay Federal Credit Union promotes assistant vice president: Santa Cruz-headquartered Bay Federal Credit Union recently appointed Tyler Sanger-Boyett to the role of assistant vice president of fraud and card operations. Sanger-Boyett has been with the credit union since 2023, and most recently served as card and fraud manager.

Got hires, promotions or departures to report? Send them to news@lookoutlocal.com with the subject line “Career changes.”

What’s new on the Lookout Job Board

Shop Manager at The Penny Ice Creamery
Short-Term Camp Bus Driver at Camp Ramah in Northern California
Forest Stewardship Manager at Sempervirens Fund
Project Manager 1 at MYNT Systems
Residential Community Service Supervisor at UC Santa Cruz

Want more? Browse all openings on our job board. | Hiring? Post your job today!

Save the date

Thursday, May 21: The Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce will host its next business after-hours event at West Coast Community Bank’s downtown Santa Cruz branch at 75 River St. The event features networking and refreshments from 5 to 7 p.m. Registration is here.
Thursday, May 21: The Santa Cruz Young Professionals Rotary will host a meetup at Humble Sea Brewing Company’s beer garden on the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Registration here.
Saturday, May 30: Hand It Down, a resale shop for children’s apparel, will host an opening celebration at its new downtown Santa Cruz location from noon to 5 p.m. at 119 Walnut Ave. The Downtown Association will hold a ribbon-cutting for the store at 12:15 p.m.
Thursday, June 11: The Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce will host a business after-hours event with Lookout Santa Cruz. Attendees will get to tour the newsroom, meet the staff and learn more about Lookout. Tickets for chamber and Lookout members are $10; $20 for non-members. The event takes place at 1523 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, from 5 to 7 p.m. Details and registration here.
Thursday, June 11: All Things Meetings and Visit Santa Cruz County will host a daylong workshop for corporate, association and social event planners, featuring networking with representatives from local venues, hotels and more. The event takes place at The Grove (formerly the Cocoanut Grove) from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Registration here.
Friday, June 12: A ribbon-cutting is planned for 11 a.m. to noon at Si Se Puede Behavioral Health Center at 161 Mills Lane, Watsonville. Register here.