Sacramento Tourism Reinventing Itself In Wake Of Pandemic – CBS Sacramento
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — For many years, Sacramento has been often called a authorities and conference city. However because the pandemic shut down journey for enterprise and leisure alike, it allowed the California capital to take a second and reinvent itself as a vacation spot metropolis.
“Leisure journey’s really up,” says Mike Testa, CEO of VisitSacramento.
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Nope, that’s not a typo. Whereas VisitCalifornia initiatives leisure journey spending will likely be again to pre-pandemic numbers by 2023, Sacramento really has already surpassed its 2019 figures. That’s resulting from a method shift that was in place earlier than the pandemic however is bearing fruit now.
“For a very long time, Sacramento was a one-trick pony with the conference middle,” Testa explains.
However COVID compelled a precedence shift. With conventions being canceled, authorities staff going dwelling and a few soul looking out required to avoid wasting companies within the metropolis, Testa and his crew began to take a special method.
“We began investing in music festivals, in meals festivals, in sports activities,” says Testa. “We took over the sports activities fee as effectively.”
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That has paid off in the long term. Kimpton Sawyer resort Basic Supervisor Nikki Carlson noticed the outdated developments altering as effectively.
“Traditionally, weekends this time of 12 months and usually had been beforehand, pre-pandemic, just a little softer on this market,” she stated.
Carlson stated she feels COVID, in a solely business-minded means, gave the town a contemporary begin to re-evaluate what was bringing guests to the capital area.
“I feel we’re at a little bit of a bonus,” Carlson defined. “I feel there have been quick pivots made. We took this as a chance to not sit on our heels however be on the balls of our ft and work out how we had been going to assist carry relevance to Sacramento.”
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Testa says the conference turnout is forecast to return to pre-pandemic numbers by 2025. They’re booked out on conference occasions till 2031. Within the meantime, the town hopes to develop its leisure journey sector additional and make Sacramento one other Northern California vacation spot metropolis.
