Coronado looks nearby to boost tourism

The recession is driving the Coronado Chamber of Commerce to be more aggressive luring visitors and it is proposing a marketing plan aimed at county residents and tourists already in San Diego County. Coronado decided a decade ago to cut back on funding tourism promotion by about 40 percent. The city then began focusing on serving Coronado visitors by handing out event calendars and vacation-planning and amenities guides. That was acceptable, say business owners, until the economy took a nose dive. “I don’t have hard numbers, but I can tell you from conversations I’ve had, a lot of businesses are struggling,” said Todd Shallan, president of the city’s Chamber of Commerce. “Hotel business is suffering all around San Diego, and that has an effect on visitor-related businesses in town.” The chamber last month asked the city for $350,000 to fund a new marketing program targeting daytrippers. The chamber had hoped to start the program as early as this summer and fund it for a year. On Tuesday, the City Council agreed to help. But instead of the $350,000 requested, council members voted to set up a committee and spend $30,000 for an expert to study the possible creation of a business improvement district. Businesses in the district would be taxed to pay for tourism promotion. One possibility mentioned Tuesday was a 1 percentage point increase in the hotel tax. City officials estimated the increase could generate $1.2 million a year to promote tourism. Read the entire Union Tribune article here.