CLEARLAKE— During the Clearlake City Council regular meeting, on Thursday, May 19, Mayor Dirk Slooten stated a proclamation declaring May 2022 as California tourism month.
“Tourism plays a critical role in Lake County and the state’s economic prosperity. And whereas a robust travel industry provides significant economic benefits to the entire state, generating more than $144 billion in visited spending in 2019. And whereas travel has been the foundation of a healthy workforce, serving one of the largest private sector employers in California, supporting 1.2 million jobs in 2019. And whereas spending by travelers benefits states and local governments, are like generating $12.2 billion in tax revenue in 2019 to support essential public services and programs that benefit all California. And whereas, the COVID 19 pandemic devastated every sector of the travel industry, with staggering economic impacts affecting every community in California, including Lake County. And whereas California lost $79.8 billion in visitor spending in 2020, a 55% decline from the previous year,” he said, reading from the proclamation.
Slooten added that there were $6.1 billion in local and state revenues, a 50% drop. Nearly 1 million California working in traveling hospitality lost their jobs in the first month of the pandemic. He said the employment sector remains by far the hardest hit in California. In 2020, Lake County lost 47 million in travel-generated spending, tax receipts, and employment whereas the state tourism sector began its recovery in 2021, but remains well short of 2019 levels in employment, visitor spending and taxes generated. Lake County generated spending tabs, tax receipts and employment returned to 2019 levels and the California legislation in 2017 declared every May as California tourism month to celebrate positive economic impact of the tourism in California.
California can help out their fellow Californians back to work and support the recovery of local businesses by traveling California. “Now, therefore, the City Council of the City of Clearlake does hereby proclaim May 2022 as tourism month in Clearlake, an urge the residents of Clearlake to join in recognizing the critical role this industry plays in Lake County,” said Slooten.
According the Lake County Tourism improvement district’s annual report, the top cities are San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose, Los Angeles, Lakeport, Santa Rosa, Roseville, and Modesto. The fastest growing category of hospitality today is short term rentals.
The consensus was that the county is in need of more lodging and more eateries.
Regarding the resolution and projected or proposed projects for road improvement, “the city is considered a self-help municipality, meaning that we have our own sales tax or revenue source dedicated specifically for road improvement. We’re eligible for a special set of funds,” said City Manager Alan Flora.
“There are three projects that we think are a good fit, that need to be done in the city for this funding source, which is the airport road improvements, Highlands Park frontage improvement project and then Lakeshore drive corridor improvements. If there’s another project that the council really thinks should be on here, we can certainly add that project, but this is revisited each year and resubmitted to Caltrans,” he added.
The Clearlake City Council meetings take place on the first and third Thursdays of each month. More information, minutes to previous meetings and agendas for upcoming meetings can be found online at https://www.clearlake.ca.us/143/City-Council
