In a presentation to the Richmond City Council on July 17, Richmond Convention and Visitors Bureau (RCVB) Director Michelle Itagaki noted that Richmond’s number one draw for visitors is the Rosie the Riveter WW II Home Front National Historical Park – in response to a question by a City Council member.

Itagaki was making the annual report to the City Council on the benefit assessment district established voluntarily by lodging establishments to tax hotel rooms and use the funds to promote Richmond tourism.

The mission of the RCVB is to develop and promote Richmond and its amenities as a destination, thereby contributing to our community’s economic growth and enhancement of its public image.

Cultural tourism is big business, and with 32 miles of San Francisco Bay waterfront, a national park and other rich historical resources and an extensive San Francisco Bay Trail network completed, Richmond has a lot to offer. Itagaki emphasized that, according to the National Travel Industry Association, 75% of U.S. adult travelers attended a cultural activity or event while on a trip in the past year and were more likely to bird watch than golf!

What is good for the hotel business is good for Richmond. In the past year, there were 127,946 hotel rooms occupied in the City of Richmond. With an average room rate of $63, this generated over $8 million. According to the National Travel Industry Association, every dollar a tourist spends circulates at least four times in a community, making tourism a $32 million business in Richmond.

Not only that, the City of Richmond collects over $800,000 in Transit Occupancy Tax (TOT) and over $120,000 as the City share (1.5%) of sales taxes from hotels that goes directly into the City’s general fund.

The RCVB website gets 775 hits per day and 263,724 hits per year. The RCVB advertises Richmond in the National Geographic Travel Magazine and Frommer’s Budget Travel Magazine, both of which together generated over 2,500 leads. Other advertising has been placed in America in WW II, Travel Host, East Bay Business Times, and Radio KDYA/KDIA. The RCVB has also benefited from nearly $100,000 in free in kind publicity from television, print media and radio.

RCVB collaborated with Rosie the Riveter WW II Home Front National Historical Park, National park service, Trails for Richmond Action Committee (TRAC), ABAG and Spokewise to produce the Marina Bay Trail Guide, with printing subsidized by a grant from Signature Properties and mailing to all Richmond residents paid for by Richmond Sanitary Service.

RCVB also collaborated with Rosie the Riveter Trust, the Richmond Historic Preservation Advisory Committee and the Richmond Mayor’s Office to have Richmond designated as a Preserve America Community, the benefits of which include: White House recognition; a certificate of recognition; a Preserve America Community road sign; eligibility for Preserve America grants; authorization to use the Preserve America logo on signs, flags, banners, and promotional materials; listing in a Web-based Preserve America Community directory; inclusion in national and regional press releases; official notification of designation to state tourism offices and visitor bureaus; and enhanced community visibility and pride.

The RCVB is moving forward in 2007 to:

• Assess Church group needs for locally hosted meetings
• Partner in coordinating and sponsor of the Home Front festival-by-the-bay
• Working to Address transportation issues between hotels and Richmond destinations
• Familiarization Tour with National Park Service for area CVB’s
• Develop and promote Eco-Education Tour opportunities