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«FULL_NAME»

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Dear «FIRST_NAME»,

We are at a critical point for California’s travel industry.

For more than a decade, California’s travel- and tourism-related businesses have worked together to sell the California brand to the world. Our investment returns more than $7 billion every year to the state’s businesses. But the buying power of our budget doesn’t stretch as far as it did in 2007, when Visit California’s current $50 million level was established. Because of inflation, growing advertising costs and increased spending by our competitors, California is falling behind in the global marketplace.

Now we face a pivotal decision.

The “Dream Big Dividend” Competitiveness Initiative seeks to maintain California’s position as a premier travel destination and protect our state’s share of tourism. This adjustment in assessment rates will establish a competitive level of funding for Visit California’s marketing programs. The “Dream Big Dividend” willmore than double the ROI to California’s tourism businesses – an increase from today’s $6 billion to the “Dream Big Dividend” of $12.9 billion in incremental visitor spending.

Following two public meetings of the “Dream Big Dividend” task force this summer and an overwhelmingly supportive vote of the Visit California board in September, an industry-wide referendum is underway to realize the “Dream Big Dividend.”

Ballots will be delivered to the state’s assessed businesses in late November with two funding options:

  • Option A is recommended by the Visit California board and the “Dream Big Dividend” task force. It will achieve the optimal funding level three years after approval.
  • Option B’s higher assessment rates will achieve the optimal funding level the first year after approval.

Regardless of which option the industry selects, the majority of funding will continue to go directly to programs that promote travel to California. Visit California’s operational costs – including all staff salaries – will remain less than 12 percent.

For transportation and travel services, the assessment rate would become 0.000975, from the current rate of 0.00065. The recommendedrate works out to $0.09 per $100 customer transaction, and keeps the segment’s proportional investment level flat at 2 percentof the overall Visit California budget but will more than double our segment’s current ROI. It’s a change that could dramatically improve our ability to attract more customers as tourism inCalifornia continues to grow.

I, along with the Visit California Board of Directors, strongly supportOption A. Your participation in this industry vote is essential. As leaders of the transportation and travel services industry, let’s do everything we canto assist this effort and continue the momentum we’ve built so far. Please share this information with your colleagues in the industry. And if you are an assessed business voter, look for ballots in your mailbox on November 26th.

For more information on the “Dream Big Dividend” Competitiveness Initiative –including supporting research, ROI projections and transportation and travel services-specific background – visit vote.visitcalifornia.com. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely yours,

«FULL_NAME»
«COMPANY»

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