raffy
Oct 19, 01, 6:28 am
Listen up, Californians: Your state needs you - and your tourist dollars. From San Diego to the Redwood Empire, from Monterey to Lake Tahoe, hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions have seen business fall precipitously.
Hardly anybody, it seems, wants to get on an airplane and come here. At the same time, Californians are suddenly skittish about flying to the East Coast, Europe or other travel destinations. So the message you'll be hearing repeatedly in coming months is: "Get in your car and rediscover California. We'll cut you a great deal."
State tourism officials "will be targeting the drive market (i.e. you) until consumer confidence is restored in air travel," said Fred Sater, director of communications for the California Travel and Tourism Commission. Sater's outfit distributes a free, comprehensive California travel planning packet (including a 250-page visitors' guide and a California driving tours brochure). Order yours by calling (800) 462-2543 or clicking onto their Web site: visitcalifornia.com.
You should soon be seeing attractive discounts being offered at hotels around the state. "Lodging establishments really are cutting their rates," said Jim Abrams of the Sacramento-based California Hotel and Lodging Association. "They are trying to make it super, super attractive to say, ÔHey, I can't afford not to take this trip.' "
The best deals will be found in areas that depend heavily on air travel. In Northern California, look for bargains in the Wine Country, Monterey/Carmel and Yosemite regions.
Hard-hit cruise lines have come up with some excellent prices on short cruises out of Los Angeles.
Keep your eyes on the ads in this section and in other media in weeks to come. A number of regions, including Nevada, plan substantial promotions to lure guests who can arrive by automobile. Reno, for instance, plans to spend up to a million dollars for this purpose.
Rate cuts related to the post-Sept. 11 travel slump inevitably become conflated with routine off-season fall promotions. That's fine; a deal is a deal. Here's a random sampling of attractive travel opportunities already being offered for Bay Area residents with car keys:
In California
-- Monterey: The Best Western Inn is offering two-night stays plus daily breakfast for two and two Monterey Bay Aquarium tickets, all for $109 per person, including taxes. That's through Oct. 31. From Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, the price drops to $89 per person. Available from AAA Travel at (800) 922-8228.
Many Monterey hotels slice their rates for the annual Bounty program, which runs Nov. 15 through March 31, 2002. Examples: $49 at the Comfort Inn (including continental breakfast), $79 at the Hilton Monterey and Big Sur Lodge, $99 at Carmel's La Playa Hotel with an automatic upgrade (up to a $295 value). For information on the program, call (888) 221-1010 or check the Web at www.montereyinfo.org. (http://www.montereyinfo.org.)
-- Mendocino: The Inn at Schoolhouse Creek, a bed and breakfast, is offering 10 percent off to those who call at least 48 hours prior to arrival (as well as to all firefighters and police officers). Regular rates run from $115 to $205 per night for two people. Phone: (800) 731-5525; Web: www. schoolhousecreek .com/special.htm.
-- San Simeon: California Seacoast Lodge, through the AAA Quick Getaways promotional program, is offering a two-night stay plus continental breakfast for two and two tickets to a movie at the nearby Hearst Castle staging area for $116 per person, tax included. Call AAA (see above).
-- Yosemite: Two nights at the venerable Wawona Hotel (albeit rooms without baths) and one nine-hole round of golf per person per day, priced at $168 for two people. Children stay free. Offer is good for Sundays through Thursdays until Oct. 25. Call AAA; Web: www.yosemitepark.com. (http://www.yosemitepark.com.)
-- Disneyland: California's premier theme park is promoting a "fall getaway" plan that offers significant family savings. Book a minimum two-night stay at one of the park hotels, and you get a two-day "park-hopper" ticket allowing you to visit both Disneyland and the new California Adventure park. Each adult ticket comes with one free child's ticket. Then you get a third day of accommodations and park-hopping for free. This double-occupancy deal starts at $200 per grown-up. It's available through travel agents or by calling (800) 225-2024. On the Web: www.disneyland.com. (http://www.disneyland.com.)
Hardly anybody, it seems, wants to get on an airplane and come here. At the same time, Californians are suddenly skittish about flying to the East Coast, Europe or other travel destinations. So the message you'll be hearing repeatedly in coming months is: "Get in your car and rediscover California. We'll cut you a great deal."
State tourism officials "will be targeting the drive market (i.e. you) until consumer confidence is restored in air travel," said Fred Sater, director of communications for the California Travel and Tourism Commission. Sater's outfit distributes a free, comprehensive California travel planning packet (including a 250-page visitors' guide and a California driving tours brochure). Order yours by calling (800) 462-2543 or clicking onto their Web site: visitcalifornia.com.
You should soon be seeing attractive discounts being offered at hotels around the state. "Lodging establishments really are cutting their rates," said Jim Abrams of the Sacramento-based California Hotel and Lodging Association. "They are trying to make it super, super attractive to say, ÔHey, I can't afford not to take this trip.' "
The best deals will be found in areas that depend heavily on air travel. In Northern California, look for bargains in the Wine Country, Monterey/Carmel and Yosemite regions.
Hard-hit cruise lines have come up with some excellent prices on short cruises out of Los Angeles.
Keep your eyes on the ads in this section and in other media in weeks to come. A number of regions, including Nevada, plan substantial promotions to lure guests who can arrive by automobile. Reno, for instance, plans to spend up to a million dollars for this purpose.
Rate cuts related to the post-Sept. 11 travel slump inevitably become conflated with routine off-season fall promotions. That's fine; a deal is a deal. Here's a random sampling of attractive travel opportunities already being offered for Bay Area residents with car keys:
In California
-- Monterey: The Best Western Inn is offering two-night stays plus daily breakfast for two and two Monterey Bay Aquarium tickets, all for $109 per person, including taxes. That's through Oct. 31. From Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, the price drops to $89 per person. Available from AAA Travel at (800) 922-8228.
Many Monterey hotels slice their rates for the annual Bounty program, which runs Nov. 15 through March 31, 2002. Examples: $49 at the Comfort Inn (including continental breakfast), $79 at the Hilton Monterey and Big Sur Lodge, $99 at Carmel's La Playa Hotel with an automatic upgrade (up to a $295 value). For information on the program, call (888) 221-1010 or check the Web at www.montereyinfo.org. (http://www.montereyinfo.org.)
-- Mendocino: The Inn at Schoolhouse Creek, a bed and breakfast, is offering 10 percent off to those who call at least 48 hours prior to arrival (as well as to all firefighters and police officers). Regular rates run from $115 to $205 per night for two people. Phone: (800) 731-5525; Web: www. schoolhousecreek .com/special.htm.
-- San Simeon: California Seacoast Lodge, through the AAA Quick Getaways promotional program, is offering a two-night stay plus continental breakfast for two and two tickets to a movie at the nearby Hearst Castle staging area for $116 per person, tax included. Call AAA (see above).
-- Yosemite: Two nights at the venerable Wawona Hotel (albeit rooms without baths) and one nine-hole round of golf per person per day, priced at $168 for two people. Children stay free. Offer is good for Sundays through Thursdays until Oct. 25. Call AAA; Web: www.yosemitepark.com. (http://www.yosemitepark.com.)
-- Disneyland: California's premier theme park is promoting a "fall getaway" plan that offers significant family savings. Book a minimum two-night stay at one of the park hotels, and you get a two-day "park-hopper" ticket allowing you to visit both Disneyland and the new California Adventure park. Each adult ticket comes with one free child's ticket. Then you get a third day of accommodations and park-hopping for free. This double-occupancy deal starts at $200 per grown-up. It's available through travel agents or by calling (800) 225-2024. On the Web: www.disneyland.com. (http://www.disneyland.com.)