Tourism and Mariposa County

Summary and Conclusions:

Mariposa County has given millions of dollars to the Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau to promote Yosemite and Mariposa County. This analysis, based on the best, and most current, information available, indicates that the promotion efforts of the Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau has not been effective.

Looking at the overall picture, our “Tourism” dominated economy is great from the standpoint of the economic health of the County budget BUT there is a serious question as to what effect our County of Mariposa contribution to the Tourism Bureau is buying? With these “Publicly Available” figures, the conclusion are:

·       

             Mariposa County’s Growth in Tourism income is the result in an overall State-wide and regional growth trend in Tourism and none of this growth can be directly linked to our annual “investment” in the Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau!

·         Growth tourism economic impacts in the region, specifically Madera, Merced and Stanislaus Counties is on a par with Mariposa Counties and their “promotion” budgets pale compared to ours; perhaps these Counties are benefiting from growth in Yosemite visitation more than Mariposa County because of growth in Park entrance traffic on Highways 41, 120.

·         The Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau receives roughly 30% of its total funding from Mariposa County’s “Grant” and the bulk of their funding is derived from their 1% BID assessment.

·         The Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau had, in 2013, (the latest publicly available data) more than $687,000 in cash and savings to finance their annual operations.

·         As County TOT revenues, have grown over the years, so has the Tourism Bureau’s 1% assessment!

The history of the Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau is the story of a quasi-public agency, started by the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors to promote Mariposa and Yosemite. The “seed-money” and start-up investment of the Tourism Bureau has evolved in to an annual “contribution” that is now transforming into an “entitlement” that will be “indexed” to overall growth in Mariposa’s Transient Occupancy Tax.

It is time that the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors take the next step in “investing” in our overall economic health as envisioned in the Mariposa County Economic Vitality Plan many years ago. The fact that the Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau is supported by over $1 Million in revenue to boost our “visitor” economy, to little or no effect, compared to that of surrounding Counties, It time to move forward with the Plan to build a more diverse Mariposa Economy.

As for the “investment” a Hotel-Conference facility, if this facility is needed, and can be supported by our visitor economy, it WILL be built by private investors and should not be underwritten with public money. The proper role for our County Government is to create the proper environment for all types of economic, job creating, investments can be “profitably” made. A “public” investment in facilities and infrastructure for a Cultural and Performing Arts Center should be examined but such a Center cannot be “Linked” to a “Convention/Conference” Center for many reasons. 

Primarily, a Public Investment in this type of facility should benefit all hotel/motel operators in Mariposa County and should not become a “Public” subsidized project benefiting one or several private property owners.

Recommendation

With a review of the above data, and considering the presentation of the representatives, of the Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau, the following recommendations are appropriate for Mariposa County to move forward in developing its County Economy:

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      Board of Supervisors continue to commit, for FY 2016-17 the amount of $500,000 to Mariposa-Yosemite Tourism Development.

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      No funds would be “granted” to the Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau. They should be able to finance their programs with “reserves” and BID funding of around $1.4 Million a year.

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      The amount of $300,000 be assigned, under a specific promotion budget, to the Mariposa Chamber of Commerce.

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      The Chamber of Commerce shall provide a budget proposal to the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors that would accomplish three main goals:

1.      Promote Mariposa, and Yosemite visitation.

2.      Promote County “Sponsored” community events and activities to regional visitors.

3.      Provide financial, technical and logistical support to County “Sponsored” community events.

4.      Develop and operate a County Film Commission to promote Mariposa County as film production location.

·        

      The amount of $200,000 be assigned to an Economic Development budget, to establish an Economic Development Division, within the Mariposa County Administrative Office.

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           The Economic Development Division of the Mariposa County Administrative Office should develop, and implement the Economic Development Strategy, soon to be adopted by Mariposa County.

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     The day-to-day operations of the Mariposa County Economic Development and Visitor Promotion budget to be under the oversight and management of a County Economic Development Director to be hired to manage the Mariposa County Economic Development Division, under the direction of, and serving at the pleasure of the Mariposa County Administrative Officer.

The objective of this radical change from past practice is to focus our visitor promotion efforts on Mariposa County, to compliment the investment that the Hotel/Motel operators are making in promoting Yosemite. The program would coordinate those promotion efforts in a manner that would help Mariposa County develop a diverse economy.