Celia Jiménez here, thinking about what Salinas offers for visitors, from its walkable downtown, to its art deco buildings and murals around the city.
Salinas, the most populous city on the Central Coast, is an understated destination, and leaders are trying to figure out how to attract more tourists to the area.
In this week's edition of the Weekly, Editor Sara Rubin discusses a recent attempt by the city to step up its effort to promote tourism and the tension it caused at the city council’s dais.
On March 24, Salinas City Council approved $200,000 to fund the California Welcome Center in Salinas and reduce its rent from $2,104 a month to $1 in a two year-agreement. (It passed 6-1 with Councilmember Andrew Sandoval dissenting.)
Rubin describes the cultural lines in Monterey County that separate the Peninsula from the Salinas Valley, dives into the current work the county’s tourism bureau See Monterey is doing to attract tourism to the region, and the council’s request for an audit on declining tourism revenue.
“Tourism is a big deal,” Don Chapin, a member of the Salinas Valley Tourism and Visitors Bureau, told the council. “I don’t think Salinas has taken it seriously enough.”
Salinas and the Monterey Peninsula offer different experiences, so the question is: How can you attract more tourists to Salinas that sets it apart from neighboring cities? While thinking of ideas, take a look at Rubin's story and let me know what you think about the current approach.
(1) comment
Salinas is also, without question, the friendliest town in Monterey County, with the best weather. Years ago a visiting friend and I met a couple on a trail in Monterey. He was a new chef at a large hotel, she a scientist. After a lovely conversation, we said goodbye - they said, wait. Just so you know, we have lived here for 3 months and you are the first people to say hello to us. My friend said, I'm from LA, I said I'm from Michigan. That incident reflects to this day a certain uptightness Salinas does NOT have.
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