CHEERS TO 10 YEARS FOR VISIT OCEANSIDE!

Visit Oceanside was honored to receive a special proclamation in recognition of our 10th anniversary from Oceanside Mayor Peter Weiss during the City Council meeting on August 19. Our destination management organization (DMO) was acknowledged for its careful crafting of a unique brand personality for Oceanside and success in bringing new tourism generating events and programs to the city.

Despite celebrating this milestone amid a worldwide pandemic that has been devasting to the travel industry, we are proud of the success we have achieved. Among these are a doubling of visitor spending in Oceanside since 2009 and an increase in overnight stays. When visitors stay in Oceanside, they not only support local businesses, which positively impacts jobs for residents, but also produce important tax revenues for the City to support services that benefit the entire community. These include parks, recreation, road repair, public safety and more.

One key to our success is a sustainable approach to destination promotion. We accomplish this by seeking to build tourism in the off-season while also encouraging visitors to explore the City outside of traditionally tourism-heavy areas. For instance, Oceanside hosts many of its signature events, such as Ironman 70.3 Oceanside, Race Across America and Bike the Coast, during traditionally slow leisure travel months.

Visit Oceanside’s achievements could not have reached such high marks without the growth and progress that has taken place in the City over the last decade. New hotel properties, unique new restaurants, and a craft beverage scene that today includes beer, wine, spirits and coffee have consistently provided compelling new VIEW THE VIDEO reasons to visit. New recreation options have drawn visitor interest with options such as skydiving, helicopter tours, whale watching, electric bike tours and a fresh golfing experience at the renovated Goat Hill Golf Course. Oceanside has also excelled as an arts destination, being named one of just 14 California Cultural Districts in the state, and home to an iconic surf museum, historic theaters and highly respected Oceanside Museum of Art— all which add to the destination’s allure.

Even more important to Oceanside’s growing reputation as a sought-after vacation destination are the creative visionaries and local entrepreneurs leading the progress in our City. Their contributions have given Oceanside a fun personality that is part accessible, part aspirational and unlike any other Southern California beach destinations.

Looking forward, we at Visit Oceanside continue to share optimism for the future of Oceanside’s tourism industry. Although we face a tough recovery in the months ahead, we know what we can accomplish when we work together as a community and will use that as a guiding light for the next 10 years and beyond.

Cheers to 10 years! Leslee Gaul

Leslee Gaul is CEO of Visit Oceanside, the official destination management organization for the City of Oceanside. For more information about Visit Oceanside, visit www.visitoceanside.org.