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Resolution of Intention to Re-establish SATMD <br />April 15, 2025 <br />Page 2 <br />4 <br />9 <br />2 <br />3 <br />decisions regarding spending priorities and marketing activities are made by the Travel <br />Santa Ana Board of Directors. Additionally, the City does not contribute or allocate any <br />public funding to support the district, which is entirely self-imposed and funded by the <br />participating hotels themselves. This approach has been used successfully in other <br />destination areas throughout the state to improve tourism and drive additional room <br />nights to assessed lodging businesses. The established SATMD includes all lodging <br />businesses with seventy (70) rooms or more located within the boundaries of the City of <br />Santa Ana. There are 17 of those lodging businesses in the SATMD. <br /> <br />The City has received signed petitions from 12 of the 17 lodging businesses which <br />represent 74% of the total Hotel Visitor Tax assessment indicating that they wish to <br />initiate proceedings to renew the Santa Ana Tourism Marketing District for an additional <br />10-year term (Exhibit 3). The Property and Business Improvement District Law of 1994 <br />requires more than 50% of assessed hotels to sign a petition in support to renew the <br />Tourism Marketing District. <br />Lodging business owners decided to pursue renewal of the SATMD in order to continue <br />with a dedicated revenue source devoted to marketing Santa Ana as a tourist, meeting, <br />and event destination. These funds have been managed by the Travel Santa Ana (TSA) <br />Board of Directors, a non-profit tourism and marketing destination organization that was <br />created. <br />FIVE-YEAR TRAVEL SANTA ANA ACCOMPLISHMENTS <br />Established with the formation of the Santa Ana Tourism Marketing District in 2020, <br />Travel Santa Ana has positioned itself as the city's official destination marketing <br />organization, effectively shaping a distinct brand identity and enhancing Santa Ana’s <br />visibility as a dynamic visitor destination. Through strategic leadership, data-driven <br />decision-making, and targeted marketing initiatives, Travel Santa Ana has strengthened <br />tourism's economic impact while fostering robust community engagement. <br />Since its inception, the SATMD has collected more than $5.6 million in assessment <br />fees. Travel Santa Ana's initiatives have generated over 100 leads for hotel bookings, <br />projecting potential revenues exceeding $9.3 million in the last year. Further details and <br />achievements of Travel Santa Ana can be found in the 2024 Travel Santa Ana Annual <br />Report (Exhibit 4). To establish a cohesive and authentic brand identity, Travel Santa <br />Ana implemented an innovative branding strategy, replacing a traditional logo with <br />signature designs created in collaboration with five local artists. This community-driven <br />approach reflects Santa Ana’s cultural and artistic vibrancy. The organization also <br />developed two comprehensive three-year strategic plans, outlining a framework for <br />sustained destination marketing efforts. A critical component of this strategy was the <br />launch of www.travelsantaana.com, serving as the primary digital platform for <br />promoting Santa Ana’s attractions, businesses, and events. <br />Travel Santa Ana has also focused on enhancing visitor engagement through curated <br />content and outreach initiatives. The publication of an annual Visitors Guide and a