Tourism Leaders Share Plans to Boost Visitors in 2026
John Palminteri
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The annual tourism summit in Santa Barbara revealed the playbook for 2026 to boost the visitor count.
It was put on by Visit Santa Barbara at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort.
The afternoon event brought together a packed meeting room with leaders in the hospitality industry along with city officials and those planning for the regional impacts of major sporting events like the World Cup.
Despite the challenges with the nations economy, domestic travel will be a targeted audience. The proximity to Los Angeles is also going to continue to be a boost. The CEO of Visit Santa Barbara, Kathy Janega-Dykes said, “we’re also very fortunate that the largest base of our visitors comes from the Los Angeles area so it is very easy to to travel here. You know, this is a place that they’ve been to, many times before so they feel comfortable traveling here.”
The outlook also forecasted a tourism increase in 2027.
Last year was a very busy year again at the Santa Barbara Airport with more than 1.4-million passengers coming and going.
Chuck Davidson is with Tourism Economics which studies tends in tourism and the economy. He sees the airport operation as a key component to the areas tourism stability. “International is actually up here in Santa Barbara on an air traffic standpoint. About 14.5%. Domestic travel is up at the airport about 5.5%. So definitely the work that the community is doing and developing those air service routes is paying off.”
One of the underlying themes focused on the international travel drop from areas including Canada and China and the benefits showcasing Santa Barbara to more U.S. areas.
The President of Visit California, Caroline Beteta said millions of dollars will be spent domestically to brand California this year.
The Pacific Surfliner with Amtrak is also increasing its train schedule in the region.
The area is known for business conventions annually along with numerous festivals during the year.
But there is competition for the California traveler who could also find themselves interested in Palm Springs, Monterey and San Diego. Davidson said, “I think definitely right now when regional drive traffic is coming back and people are looking to stay a little bit closer to home, the competition’s going to be some of the California communities that have maybe similar but very different offerings than the America Riviera as we know it here in Santa Barbara.”
Davidson also looked at the big picture with the U.S. economy and the changes that may influence travelers, for example, if they don’t have job security of have recently been laid off. That may slow down plans for lengthy or multiple vacations.
There is also a draw to the area with its internationally known and honored wine and culinary region that has been featured in many publications and TV travel shows.
This year in addition to the longtime festivals including Summer Solstice and Old Spanish Days, the area will be popular with visitors coming on a steady basis for the top performers at the Santa Barbara Bowl, the music at the Lobero Theatre and the upcoming Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
In the summer there is expected to be many free events including the movies at the Courthouse Sunken Gardens each week, Concerts in the Park at Chase Palm Park and the 4th of July fireworks show on the beach attended by about 15,000.
The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With the Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.