Visit Santa Cruz County, the region’s nonprofit tourism marketing organization, says it is exploring opportunities to lure more visitors from “previously untapped markets,” and sees significant opportunity in China and South Korea.
The organization has announced that staff will make their first “China and South Korea Trade and Media Mission” with Visit California this fall. They’ll travel to Beijing and Seoul, meeting one-on-one and networking with tour operators based there and Chinese journalists.
VSCC said that Santa Cruz County’s base of tourism through visitors from the United Kingdom and Canada has “matured,” spurring the organization to seek out potential in other overseas markets.
The focus on China and South Korea in part comes from a shift away from group tours and emergence of more foreign travel from younger people. Spending by South Korean tourists has recovered from pre-pandemic levels, the organization said, and 30% visit the San Francisco Bay Area – the second-most-popular destination in the country. By 2025, VSCC said, China’s visitor spending in California is also expected to be fully back to pre-pandemic levels, with the Bay Area also one of the most popular destinations.
Meanwhile, the organization continues to focus on Australia, which is Santa Cruz County’s third-largest overseas market – tied with Canada – and after the U.K. and Germany. The August issue of Australia’s Escape magazine features Santa Cruz County. With the help of Visit California, events in Melbourne and Brisbane recently featured Santa Cruz County and nine other California destinations with five-minute presentations and branded videos for an audience of 100-plus key travel trade partners and agents. Director of Sales and Travel Trade Flavia Oliveira presented a five-minute video produced in-house featuring Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Roaring Camp Railroads and Gizdich Ranch.
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