McGuire introduces bill to get tourism industry back to work

One-time appropriation is projected to deliver $10.3 billion in revenue to California businesses and $865 million in additional state and local tax revenue
Join the roundtable discussion with Senator McGuire and tourism leaders on Wednesday, February 24 at 4:00PM
California’s travel and hospitality industry are one of the largest economic drivers for the state. Before COVID-19, more than 1.2 million California workers earned their livelihoods in hospitality, and visitors spent $145 billion annually at California businesses, generating $12.3 billion in state and local tax revenues.
The coronavirus has had an especially devastating impact on California’s travel and tourism industry. Since last March, more than half of those 1.2 million hospitality workers lost their jobs, California lost $78.8 billion in visitor spending, and thousands of businesses have struggled to keep their doors open, even if only virtually.
That’s why, since the first statewide shelter-in-place last spring, Senator Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) has been working with a broad coalition of advocates— including labor, tourism, hospitality, and local chambers of commerce – to address the incredible challenges they are facing and help get over 600,000 hard-working hospitality employees back to work safely and strategically.
On February 1st, Senator McGuire and co-author Assembly member Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Buena Park), introduced SB 285, which would provide $45 million to the state’s tourism organization, Visit California, to launch a strategic media and jobs recovery campaign to drive in-state travel to the businesses that have been hit so hard – our state’s renowned restaurants, hotels, and local destinations. Visit California will multiply the value of the appropriation through newspapers and broadcast media, which have agreed to match the funds from the state.
This campaign, which would be launched when the California Department of Public Health declares it is appropriate to resume travel, would emphasize that it is safe to travel and how to travel safely. This current proposal is modeled after a previous action by the State of California following the 9-11 terrorist attacks.
Senator McGuire and Assembly member Quirk-Silva have worked closely with a coalition of tourism industry advocates on this important next step.
“COVID-19 has hit the travel and tourism industry harder than any other. Prioritizing a one-time allocation to Visit California will ensure we stay competitive with other destinations once travel resumes, get workers back to their jobs, breathe life into our small businesses and communities, and ultimately help jump start a quick recovery of our economy,” said Peter Rumble, CEO of the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber.
With SB 285, the $45 million, one-time appropriation is projected to deliver $10.3 billion in revenue to California businesses and $865 million in additional state and local tax revenue.
On Wednesday, February 24 at 4:00PM, Senator Mike McGuire will be holding a roundtable discussion with tourism leaders from across the state. We encourage you to join us as they discuss a strategic road map for reopening and getting California and Sonoma County hospitality workers safely back to work.
Register here for Senator McGuire's Interactive Roundtable.