Mammoth Lakes, Calif., Aug. 6, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Following a record spring, Mammoth Lakes has doubled down on efforts to raise its profile as a tourism destination. On Wednesday, July 24 the town's council passed a measure that will create a Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID).
The creation of the TBID, which goes into effect on Sept. 1, will add an estimated $4.7 million per year, for the next five years, to the coffers of the town's tourism marketing efforts through contributions from businesses located within the district. Unlike other TBIDs, which are strictly paid for by (and largely used to promote) lodging, the Mammoth Lakes TBID contributors will also include restaurants, retail and Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, bringing all of the major beneficiaries of tourism dollars to the table.
"Mammoth Lakes has grown into much more than just a winter destination," said John Urdi, executive director of Mammoth Lakes Tourism. "The Eastern Sierra have something unique to offer visitors 12 months a year, even more so with daily air service and continued infrastructure improvements. We're seeing the results with occupancy records, but there's still much more opportunity, and are excited about the possibilities the TBID provides."
Less than a year after the resolution of bankruptcy proceedings that threatened Mammoth Lakes' tourism budget, the Mammoth Lakes Tourism office has secured a stable source of marketing funding that cannot be accessed or controlled by the town's government.
"We've come a long way in the last year," said Urdi. "Tourism is Mammoth's lifeblood and with the creation of the TBID, the town has shown a clear commitment towards sustained financial health. Around town the consensus is that the future is bright for Mammoth Lakes. That kind of optimism was hard to come by 12 months ago."
TBIDs were created by the 1995 California Marketing Act and the implementation of TBIDs in other California destinations has demonstrably led to increased tourism. For example, following the creation of it's own TBID in 2010, the tourism industry in Napa Valley is up 38%, with a reported ROI of $63.80 for every promotional dollar spent in 2012, and it's not an anomaly, the statewide ROI average is $63 for every TBID marketing dollar spent.
For more information on Mammoth Lakes visitwww.visitmammoth.com. For more information on the TBID, visit www.mltbid.com