Tourists are Traveling for Weather, Hospitality and Architecture this Summer
John Palminteri
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The trends may be shifting from those looking for just white sand beaches or pamper-forward resorts. Architecture may be the foundation of some travel plans.
The Visit Santa Barbara 2025 Annual General Meeting made that connection Thursday. It focused on the intersection of hospitality and the architectural heritage of Santa Barbara.
Local tourism leaders describe how Santa Barbara is one of the perfect locations for that type of offering. Local historian, Neal Graffy, discussed how the city’s architecture was shaped in the 100 years since the 1925 earthquake. The region has Spanish Colonial Revival style buildings in all directions.
Some of the area’s most iconic landmarks, include Old Mission Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara County Courthouse.
He said tourists began coming to the region for not just the weather but long stays at the new Potter Hotel on the beach and the Arlington Hotel in upper downtown. They needed something to do, and the tourism industry began. “Now we’ve got these people staying for months, two months, three months. What are we going to do? Well, that created our tourism industry, celebrating our natural destinations creeks, canyons, the ocean islands and our man made endeavors at orchards, farms, ranches, the historic adobes, the mission,” said Graffy.
May is California Tourism Month. It celebrates the role of tourism to the Santa Barbara South Coast.
The industry generates more than $2.24 billion annually, including $82.9 million in tax revenue and supports more than 15,000 local jobs.
“As the summer travel season approaches, Visit Santa Barbara’s Annual General Meeting shines a spotlight on the South Coast’s tourism industry,” Kathy Janega-Dykes, president/CEO of Visit Santa Barbara, said. “Tourism is essential to the Santa Barbara South Coast, driving economic prosperity, supporting thousands of jobs in a wide variety of businesses and enhancing the vibrancy of our region.”
Janega-Dykes will discussed the state of the South Coast tourism industry and travel trends, followed by a presentation by Neal Graffy on Santa Barbara’s architectural heritage. It commemorates 100 years since the 1925 earthquake that shaped the region’s Spanish Colonial Revival style.
She says, “from the red-tiled roofs to the white stucco walls, Santa Barbara’s architecture tells a story that continues to captivate visitors from around the world.” “I can’t emphasize enough the role of Santa Barbara’s esthetic and how we stand apart from our coastal competitors. It dominates how we promote the Santa Barbara South Coast today, really spanning from Summerland and Montecito, Santa Barbara and north to Goleta.”
Graffy has written numerous monographs and books on Santa Barbara history and is a guest lecturer and former board member at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum.
Additionally, he has served as chairman of the Santa Barbara County Landmarks Commission and president of the Santa Barbara Corral of Westerners.
In his talk Graffy said before the image of Santa Barbara began evolving to what it is today, “most people thought California and the people back East thought this was a land of horse thieves, desperadoes, and wild Indians.”
He says now, interesting history is in every direction. “I have one tour that’s just a one block tour. I walked a block into history and it takes 45 minutes just to do one block. So there’s just so much that Santa Barbara has to offer with history and also accommodations, of course, which brings our tourists here,” said Graffy.
Part of the event included a sit down talk with Entrepreneur, StonePark Capital founder and hotel owner Andrew Firestone. “We’re going to reinforce the fact that our guests are in somewhere very unique in California, that the architecture, the design, the culture of Santa Barbara is special. I take it for granted. I’ve been born and bred here. I’ve been here my whole life, and I need to take a look at that.”
Firestone spoke of sharing the past story of Santa Barbara with his workers and help them have a better understanding of the regions history to share with those visiting. In 2022 Santa Barbara welcomed its newest hotel, Courtyard Santa Barbara Downtown, a Courtyard by Marriott hotel. It includes the Saint Remy restaurant.
(Firestone and Jess Parker are the founders of StonePark Capital.)
The meeting luncheon was held at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum. The museum currently has a special exhibit on the 1925 Earthquake.
For more information go to: Visit Santa Barbara, The Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Courtyard Santa Barbara and StonePark Capital