*This event was recorded on July 10, 2019 *
Sacramento is still sometimes called “that place halfway between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe.” And travelers often drive to those two tourist attractions without stopping to see what’s in between them. But that’s changing.
Sacramento is dedicated to turning the Old Sacramento waterfront into a new type of tourism draw. The town of Winters in Yolo County just got selected by USA Today as one of the country’s best small-town food scenes. And Lodi, originally(in)famous for the Creedence Clearwater song, is a place people now don’t mind getting stuck in, thanks to its upward-trending Wine Country status.
We’re talking with a few people who are leading the efforts to boost tourism in Sacramento and the Central Valley. Join us for a great conversation about Northern California’s newest hot spots, and what both tourists and local residents should know about what's going on there.
PANELISTS
* Nancy Beckman, CEO of Visit Lodi
* John Donlevy, City Manager of the town of Winters
* Rob Stewart, host and producer of the KVIE show Rob on the Road
* Mike Testa, CEO of Visit Sacramento
PODCAST PLAY BY PLAY
* O to 5:25 min - Intro to California Groundbreakers
* 5:25 min - Panelists introduce themselves, and share their travel destinations in the Central Valley (Bakersfield is one of them)
* 12:50 min - What Sacramento is doing to boost tourism, and who is it's trying to attract
* 18 min - How getting picked as "Wine Region of the Year" by Wine Enthusiast magazine has boosted Lodi's tourism cred
* 22:15 min - How the town of Winters was ranked #4 on USA Today's "Best Small-Town Foodie Destinations"
* 30 min - What Rob Stewart has seen in Central Valley travel trends, changes, ups and downs in his decade of doing "Rob on the Road"
* 34:10 min - What works (and doesn't) to get the word out and draw tourists to town
* 40:35 min - Fine dining vs down-home food experiences: How to market "Farm to Fork" based on pricing, affordability and exclusivity
* 48 min - The right way to add more accommodations in town
* 53:35 min - And what about adding more RV parks?
* 1 hr, 1:15 min - Demographic differences in tourism: What appeals to different age ranges?
* 1 hr, 5:25 min - Travel trends like agritourism and cannabis tourism: Are they on these towns' radars?
* 1 hr, 8:30 min - How to market "experiences" in town
* 1 hr, 13 min - How these tourism efforts will impact jobs and incomes for local residents
* 1 hr, 17:45 min - How tourism efforts address -- or clash with -- California's problems with housing affordability and homelessness
* 1 hr, 21:40 min - How do you solve the housing problem called Airbnb?
* 1 hr, 25:50 min - Next hot upcoming must-attend events in the area (Junior Olympics, Earthquake Festival and Rob's new show)
