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Native California, a Just-Launched Online Database, Connects Travelers to the State's Indigenous Heritage

By Eve Batey

Across the U.S., tourism boards guide visitors on where to eat, sleep, and explore in their destinations. But for too long, Native American-owned establishments and experiences have largely been left out of the conversation.

“The tourism industry isn’t set up for tribes to be successful,” says Sherry Rupert (Paiute/Washoe), the CEO of the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA). 

A new initiative in California seeks to change that. Launching this week, Visit Native California is an online hub from the state’s tourism bureau, intended to help local residents as well as visitors plan trips to places linked to the original occupants of the area. It’s one of the first state-led guides of this nature. “I’m hoping other states will take notice,” Rupert says.

At a performance in Palm Springs, California, the Young Family donned their regalia to celebrate the launch of Native California. 

Kate Anderson, the director of public relations at the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and a member of the Potawatomi Nation, says the idea of a central guide to activities, experiences, and businesses with Indigenous connections grew naturally from living and working in Palm Springs . The region is a global tourist destination that “grew up around the Agua Caliente tribe,” Anderson says, “but people don’t realize they’re there among the tribe, or that they might be participating in our culture.” 

The Agua Caliente have tried to shift the narrative in recent years, with local efforts like  a cultural center in downtown Palm Springs focused on highlighting the region’s history, and a forthcoming update to the tribe’s longstanding hot mineral springs and spa attraction that reflects its heritage (the full redesign will be unveiled this spring, in mid-April 2023). When she started looking at what else was happening in California, Anderson says she found efforts similar to Agua Caliente’s across the state, from other tribes working to put a spotlight on their heritage.

“There are all these beautiful hidden secrets everywhere,” Anderson says. “All culture is not for tourism, but a lot is.” Some things, such as regalia or certain ceremonies, are sacred, and only intended for members of the community, of course—but there are plenty of experiences that Anderson, for one, would love to share with her non-Native neighbors and visitors alike. 

Exploring Andreas Canyon in Palm Springs, California, which is the ancestral land of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians .

A meal prepared by Indigenous chef Crystal Wahpepah (Kickapoo) of Wahpepah's Kitchen in Oakland, California. 

It was Anderson who approached Visit California to suggest a centralized resource for people who want to consciously engage with Indigenous experiences throughout California. The initiative stalled for two years due to a lack of funding until pandemic-era funds intended for tribes finally presented a way forward. 

Unsurprisingly, Visit California encountered some “healthy skepticism” from tribes at first, says Visit California Vice President of Communications Ryan Becker. But Rupert stepped in to broker some relationships, and to help ensure that the site reflects a diversity of Indigenous-owned and -run listings. “We’re being very deliberate to make sure we’re doing this the right way,” Becker says of the measured rollout. “It’s not lost on us that this could turn exploitative.” 

At launch, the site will contain 500 points of interest, venues, and attractions across the state, broken down into general interest areas as varied as publicly accessible Pow Wows, Native American-owned breweries and Indigenous-specific aspects to state parks. Together, the recommendations serve as guideposts for travelers to plot out visits (or even connect a few on multi-stop itineraries through the state). While more experiences are to come from the already-involved tribes, the hope is that other Indigenous groups will contact Visit California for inclusion as time goes on. By this summer, Becker expects the number of experiences on the site to double; the goal for this fall is to have over a thousand recommendations. “And we’ll continue to update it as time goes on,” Becker says. “This will be a perpetual part of Visit California’s program.” Storytelling, and stoking a broader awareness of the Indigenous presence in the state, is an overarching aim of the site.

Oakland's Indigenous Red Market features products from native vendors and artists all around the country. 

In addition to the usual museums and cultural centers, Visit California points visitors to outdoor activities and hikes, restaurants, hotels, and shopping. Some, like the Chumash exhibit at the  Channel Islands Maritime Museum have a strong educational bent, while others, like the Indigenous Red Market in Oakland, are breezier affairs. Most activities are self-guided, though Becker hopes that will change as the guide evolves and more Indigenous-owned tour companies are added.

The website is “a big open window that celebrates Native American life, today,” Anderson says, and an effort that Becker says is strongly influenced by similar  hubs across Canada (for example,  in British Columbia and nationally focused site  Destination Indigenous ). They’ve really embraced” Indigenous-focused tourism, Becker says.

Rupert hopes that California will act as a similar model for the rest of the U.S. “I think that Visit California is going to be a leader in this space,” she says. “Not only have they recognized the value of cultural tourism, they’ve prioritized it.”

Read more about Indigenous tourism initiatives:

• How Indigenous Tour Operators Are Reclaiming Their Ancestral Ties to National Parks Around the World
• In Tasmania, Indigenous-Led Walking Tours Are Sharing Ancestral Stories With Travelers
• In Canada's Yukon, Indigenous Tourism Is Taking the Spotlight
• How Australia’s Historic Landback Efforts Are Reshaping Travel—On a Global Scale
• Why We Should Consider Whose Land We’re On When We’re Outdoors: Women Who Travel Podcast
• President Biden Took a Major Step Toward Designating Nevada’s Avi Kwa Ame as a National Monument

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Western City Magazine

Using Tourism to Grow Your Community’s Economy

Ryan Becker is vice president of communications for Visit California. He can be reached at  [email protected] . 

Tourism is everyone’s business in California. Year after year, the travel industry delivers tax revenue and jobs to every region of the state, fueling California’s economic engine.

Travelers spent $117 billion in California in 2014, and tourism provided jobs for more than 1 million Californians. The travel and tourism industry also generated $9.5 billion in tax revenue, supporting local and state governments and funding cultural programs that enrich California’s communities.

To retain its strong tourism economy, California needs a unified marketing effort reaching potential visitors as regularly and effectively as the competition. Despite the Golden State’s allure — from its natural beauty to the promise of fulfilling dreams — it must be marketed frequently and vigorously to reach potential visitors throughout the United States and around the world. Visit California, a public-private partnership established to promote tourism, partners with the state’s travel industry, government leaders and more than 9,000 businesses statewide to market California’s brand and products to the world.

Temecula Invests Long Term in Tourism

One off-the-beaten-path destination making a name for itself through regional marketing and leveraging the statewide effort is Temecula, a “hidden gem” wine region with a charming downtown that visitors often pass on the way to Palm Springs from Los Angeles and San Diego.

In February 2015 the City of Temecula approved a five-year Tourism Business Improvement District to help fund Visit Temecula Valley, which previously operated on a one-year agreement.

“The City of Temecula values the work that Visit Temecula Valley continues to do to increase tourism in our region,” says Temecula Mayor Jeff Comerchero. “In addition to creating and supporting the district in which the area’s hotels assess themselves to raise funds for the promotional efforts of Visit Temecula Valley, the city also is a partner in several events where our combined efforts are stronger than those of each entity individually.”

Temecula’s success as a tourism destination contributes to economic development in Riverside County. In 2012 travelers in Riverside County spent $6.6 billion, supporting jobs for nearly 70,000 people.

Central Coast Destinations Work Together

The City of Paso Robles is another community realizing the value of its regional promotion efforts and working to expand tourism. Though the city has an established Tourism Business Improvement District, local leaders are working to create a countywide Tourism Business Improvement District to expand Visit San Luis Obispo County’s marketing budget.

“Over the past two decades, tourism — driven by Paso Robles’ internationally famous wine country — has become a vital component of our local economy,” says Paso Robles Mayor Steve Martin. “The city’s participation in regional marketing efforts has been essential to that development. Our community’s Tourism Business Improvement District, the Travel Paso Robles Alliance, is a major supporter of Visit San Luis Obispo County’s activities, and all 20 of our hotels are Visit San Luis Obispo County members. Now, as efforts proceed to establish a countywide business improvement district to more effectively market the entire region, Paso Robles will continue working to maximize the benefits of tourism marketing efforts.”

And Temecula and Paso Robles aren’t alone, as dozens of local jurisdictions discover how tapping into their potential tourism economy can lead to improvements in infrastructure and the quality of life communitywide.

“Visitors help pay for needed local infrastructure, emergency services and for every local attraction from Morro Bay’s aquarium to Atascadero’s zoo,” Atascadero Mayor Tom O’Malley says. “And the message also reminds us locals how blessed we are to live in paradise.”

In 2013 visitors to the Central Coast spent $7.1 billion, employing 74,000 people and generating $471 million in tax revenue.

What Your City Can Do to Build Tourism

Local communities are examining ways to increase their appeal to tourists and stimulate economic activity around tourism. Such opportunities span a broad range that includes recreational activities, farm-to-fork activities, historical attractions, festivals that celebrate everything from the arts to agriculture and automobiles, and more.

Cities and regions looking to build tourism in their communities may want to take these steps.  

With California’s tourism industry on the cusp of unprecedented growth this year, there’s no better time to celebrate National Travel & Tourism Week, which this year is May 2-10. The event provides an opportunity to educate and inspire local businesses to take local destination tourism development and marketing to the next level.

The week’s marquee event is  Travel Rally Day , slated for May 5, which will raise awareness about the benefits of travel and provide a platform to amplify how traveler spending supports communities and local businesses. Use U.S. Travel resources – including a helpful  Tool Kit  – to develop opportunities and invite media to attend local rallies.

Visit California is leading the effort to promote the Golden State as a premier travel destination and will host several events throughout the state during National Travel & Tourism Week, which will feature new tourism data and more information on partnership opportunities. Visit  http://industry.visitcalifornia.com/Find-Research/California-Statistics-Trends/  for information about the local impact of tourism in California.

More Growth on the Horizon

In 2006 Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the landmark AB 2592 (Chapter 790, Statutes of 2006) into law establishing an assessment program for the rental car industry. Since then, Visit California has built its programs on a foundation of funding generated by assessments from rental cars as well as accommodations, restaurants, retail, attractions and travel service businesses.

The organization’s $50 million budget has allowed the state to compete effectively in the global marketplace. Visit California’s advertising generated 4.2 million additional trips and $7.8 billion in incremental visitor spending in 2013, a remarkable return on investment of $355 for every $1 spent on marketing programs.

Though the state’s marketing investment was more substantial than ever, it still paled in comparison to many competitors that had quickly outpaced and outspent California by wide margins. In 2012 four U.S. states — Hawaii, New York, Illinois and Florida — and two U.S. cities — Orlando and Las Vegas — spent more on destination marketing than California. Las Vegas’ $285 million budget dwarfed many countries vying for travel market share, including Mexico, the United Kingdom, Australia and France.

To maintain the state’s competitiveness California’s travel industry voted in December 2014 to assess itself and increase the state’s marketing investment to $100 million-plus beginning in fiscal year 2015–16. California’s travel and tourism industry is poised for continued growth.

Photo credits: Courtesy of Visit California (beach and hot air balloon); Michael Warwick /Shutterstock.com (grapes); Michaeljung /Shutterstock.com (chefs cutting vegetables); Courtesy of Visit California (family and bikes) Pbk-pg /Shutterstock.com (festival) Jorg Hackemann /Shutterstock.com (telescopes).

This article appears in the May 2015 issue of Western City Did you like what you read here? Subscribe to Western City

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As Wildfires Affect Western United States, Tourism Leadership Establish West Coast Tourism Recovery Coalition to Share that the West is Open for Business

• As Wildfires Affect Western United States, Tourism Leadership Establish West Coast Tourism Recovery Coalition to Share that the West is Open for Business Print
• As Wildfires Affect Western United States, Tourism Leadership Establish West Coast Tourism Recovery Coalition to Share that the West is Open for Business Add to My Profile
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Aug. 28, 2018) — Tourism leaders from California, Oregon and Washington are working together to welcome visitors this summer amid a rash of wildfires in the West.

While the West Coast has dealt with dozens of wildfires in primarily rural areas, the visitor experience remains largely unaffected.  The perception that the majority of the region is burning has prompted visitors to cancel trips even in communities hundreds of miles from the fires. “Visitors spend a combined $166 billion in our states, and travelers will cancel trips if they don’t have information to help them make a safe choice,” said Caroline Beteta, president & CEO of Visit California. In a recent study conducted by Visit California, 11 percent of travelers  said wildfires prompted them to cancel trips to California, representing a loss of $20 million to the state’s tourism economy last month. In Oregon, similar concerns have arisen with a  Travel Oregon wildfire study from 2017 showing $51 million in tourism revenue lost  last year alone. Of the three states’ combined total of more than 205 million acres of land mass, less than 1 percent has been affected by fires  in 2018. Across all three states, all gateway airports and roads are open. Most tourism regions and icons remain untouched. The West Coast  Tourism Recovery Coalition will raise public awareness about the hundreds of  communities and experiences that are unaffected throughout the region. More importantly, the Coalition aims to encourage travelers to return to these communities to help in the healing process for those who were affected. “Wildfires know no borders, and have unfortunately become a way of life in the American West, especially in rural communities that rely on welcoming visitors from around the world during the busiest summer and fall seasons when fires most often occur,” Beteta said. Coalition partners have committed to work together to provide on-the-ground updates to tourism industry businesses and residents, collaborating closely with regions affected by fires and their respective government agencies.

“Wildfires have been a part of summer travel on the West Coast for many years,” said Shiloh Burgess, Co-Chair of the Washington Tourism Alliance. “As destination marketing organizations at the state and community levels offer broader and more current travel tips and advisories, we find travelers are better prepared to adjust their plans – and to resume plans when fires ease.” “As fires subside and smoke clears away, all Americans can support these communities by visiting fire-impacted areas for vacations this year,” Travel Oregon CEO Todd Davidson said. “Not only will you have world-class experiences, but you’ll create  memories to cherish on the spectacular west coast while also helping your fellow Americans in recovery efforts.” Travelers  considering a trip to the West Coast can find the latest fire and air quality information  at CalFire.ca.gov or Airnow.gov for California, oregonsmoke.blogspot.com for Oregon; or gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc  for the Pacific Northwest. For more information and communications issued by the West Coast Tourism Recovery Coalition, contact Ryan Becker at [email protected] . Interview requests can be facilitated with executive leadership of the coalition including Caroline Beteta, President & CEO of Visit California; Todd Davidson, CEO of Travel Oregon Shiloh Burgess, Co-Chair of Washington Tourism  Alliance and Tom Norwalk, President and CEO of Visit Seattle.  For individual interviews, use contacts above. To request a group availability, contact Odalys Flores, NJF PR Account Supervisor, [email protected] or (310) 569-6859.

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Visit slo cal to host slo cal summit 2023 celebrating the tourism industry on oct. 5.

Media Contact:

Mayla Lohnes, Public Relations Specialist

805-541-8000

[email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VISIT SLO CAL TO HOST SLO CAL SUMMIT 2023

CELEBRATING THE TOURISM INDUSTRY ON OCT. 5

SLO CAL Summit 2023 , “The Power and Prosperity of a Tourism Brand,”

Visit SLO CAL’s Annual Address on the State of Local and Global Travel.

The Sold-Out Event Presents an Engaging Agenda Featuring Insights

on Regional Tourism, a Keynote Address on the Importance of a Robust

Destination Brand, and Informative Expert Panels.

San Luis Obispo County, California, September 28, 2023 – Visit SLO CAL (VSC), the official destination marketing and management organization for San Luis Obispo County (SLO CAL), is thrilled to announce its annual SLO CAL Summit, celebrating the tourism industry and uniting over 200 participants from multiple sectors throughout the region, including lodging investors, tourism-related businesses, elected officials and destination marketing organization (DMO) partners. The sold-out event promises an afternoon of educational sessions, networking opportunities and a destination update from Visit SLO CAL’s President and CEO.

This year’s summit theme is “The Power and Prosperity of a Tourism Brand,” featuring a welcome address, “The State of SLO CAL” by Chuck Davison, President and CEO of Visit SLO CAL, and a keynote speech by Michael Dominguez, President & CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels International, on the topic, “Value of a Strong Destination Brand.”

“We look forward to gathering together investors, stakeholders and partners during this year’s event,” said Chuck Davison, President and CEO of Visit SLO CAL. “Our annual SLO CAL Summit is not just a celebration of tourism but also a testament to the resilience, creativity and collaborative spirit of SLO CAL. I look forward to engaging discussions, fresh insights and the opportunity to strengthen our bonds within the community.”

There will be two panel discussions:

• “What Sets Us Apart” – Moderated by Visit SLO CAL’s Chief Marketing Officer, Cathy Cartier. Panelists include Tammy Haughey, The Shipyard; Nick Evans, Pensara; Joel Peterson, Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance; and Michael Dominguez, Associated Luxury Hotels International.
• “Issues Facing our Community, a Fireside Chat” – With Chuck Davison, Visit SLO CAL; Barb Newton, CalTravel and Ryan Becker, Visit California.

SLO CAL Summit 2023 will occur Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023, with registration beginning at 11:00 a.m. and the program kicking off at 12:00 p.m. The event will be held at The Embassy Suites by Hilton in San Luis Obispo. Attendees will be treated to a buffet lunch at 11:30 a.m. and a networking reception from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., featuring complimentary wine, beer and light appetizers. During the reception, attendees will have the opportunity to purchase local SLO CAL Crafted items at a pop-up market.

For more information on SLO CAL Summit 2023, visit SLOCAL.com/Partners/Destination-Summit .

For more information about Visit SLO CAL, visit SLOCAL.com or email Mayla Lohnes, [email protected] .

ABOUT VISIT SLO CAL:

Visit SLO CAL is the countywide non-profit destination marketing and management organization (DMMO) for San Luis Obispo County (SLO CAL). Visit SLO CAL is responsible for promoting SLO CAL as an attractive travel destination and enhancing the public image as a dynamic place to live and work. Through the impact of travel, Visit SLO CAL strengthens the economic position and provides opportunities for all people in the community. Built on research with a strategy of continuous improvement, Visit SLO CAL aims to establish SLO CAL as a favorite West Coast destination known for its signature slower pace of life and unique mix of incredible, immersive guest experiences. For more information, go to SLOCAL.com .

ABOUT SLO CAL CRAFTED:

SLO CAL Crafted celebrates the outstanding quality of farmers, crafters and artists in San Luis Obispo County (SLO CAL). Fine wines, hand-shaped surfboards and award-winning olive oils are just a few of the exceptional SLO CAL Crafted products coveted by locals and adored worldwide. SLO CAL Crafted is an initiative of Visit SLO CAL, and an organization working to inspire travel and foster unique experiences to create life-long ambassadors and economic growth for SLO CAL. For more information, go to SLOCAL.com/SLOCALCrafted .

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More Memorial Day travel expected, despite high gas prices

High gas prices are shown in Los Angeles, Tuesday, May 24, 2022. To drive, or not to drive? This Memorial Day weekend, with surging gas prices that are redefining pain at the pump, that is the question for many Americans as a new COVID-19 surge also spreads across the country. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — To drive, or not to drive? This Memorial Day weekend, with surging gas prices that are redefining pain at the pump, that is the question for many Americans as a new COVID-19 surge also spreads across the country.

For Marvin Harper, of Phoenix, his family’s weekend travel plans are a double punch to the wallet. His college-age son and daughter each have a soccer tournament in Southern California and Colorado, respectively. He and his daughter will fly to Denver, rather than drive, because of the cost of fuel, while his wife and son will go to California in her SUV.

“My mother-in-law’s going with my wife and son to split that cost because it’s just too much on our household,” said Harper, as he filled up the tank of his truck at a Phoenix QuikTrip. “We can’t afford both of us to drive. That’s the bottom line ... Gas prices are killing our household.”

For some, that’s exactly what’s caused them to rethink their holiday plans, making them opt for a staycation in their backyard to limit the damage to their wallets.

Laura Dena and her sons would typically go to Southern California around Memorial Day weekend to escape Arizona’s scorching heat. This year, because it takes at least $100 to fill up her truck, they’re staying home.

“It’s really frustrating,” said Dena while waiting in line in 90-degree heat for a pump at a Costco in Phoenix. “It’s upsetting, but there’s not much we can do. We have to pay the price.”

The average gas price in the U.S. on Thursday was $4.60 per gallon, according to AAA figures. In California, it topped $6. The high price of oil — largely because many buyers are refusing to purchase Russian oil because of its invasion of Ukraine — is the main cause of the steep gasoline prices.

Americans aren’t the only ones weighing their options as the summer travel season begins. Across the European Union’s 27 countries , gasoline has risen 40% from a year ago, to the equivalent of $8.40 a gallon.

Rising prices in the U.S. coincide with a COVID-19 surge that has led to case counts that are as high as they’ve been since mid-February, and those figures are likely a major undercount because of unreported positive home test results and asymptomatic infections.

Still, 2 1/2 years of pandemic life has many people hitting the road or taking to the skies, despite the surge. AAA estimates that 39.2 million people in the U.S. will travel 50 miles (80 kilometers) or more from home during the holiday weekend.

Those projections —- which include travel by car, plane and other modes of transportation like trains or cruise ships — are up 8.3% from 2021 and would bring Memorial Day travel volumes close to 2017 levels. The estimates are still below pre-pandemic 2019 levels, a peak year for travel.

About 88% of those 39.2 million travelers — a record number — are expected to go by car over the long weekend even as gas prices remain high, according to AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross.

In California — despite being home to the nation’s highest gas prices — the state’s nonprofit tourism agency also predicts a busy summer for the Golden State, beginning this weekend.

Ryan Becker, Visit California’s spokesperson, said his agency is seeing a lot of “pent-up demand” because of the pandemic: “I want to get out, I want to travel. I’ve had to put my anniversary trip on hold, I’ve had to put my 40th birthday trip on hold.”

Outdoorsy, an online rental marketplace for RVs and camper vans, is noticing that its renters have changed their plans over the course of the pandemic. Early on, people would rent an RV to travel cross-country safely to visit family. Now, they’re back to using the RVs as a cost-effective way for a vacation tethered to nature.

“I think everyone needs a vacation, I really do,” Outdoorsy co-founder Jen Young said. “Have we ever lived through a more stressful, challenging — mentally and physically and spiritually — time in our lives?”

Others shrug off the stress of the added travel costs because it’s out of their control. At a Chevron station in the Glassell Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, Ricardo Estrada tried to guess how much the $6.49 a gallon price would run him in total for his Nissan work van.

“I’ll go with between 60 and 70 bucks,” the heating and air-conditioning technician speculated, eyeing the display as the price went up and up.

Estrada — just missing his guess when the pump registered $71.61 for 11 gallons of regular grade — has been forced to raise his business fees for customers to overcome the gas prices. He’ll be working over the holiday weekend but has a vacation planned in Arizona next month.

He’s flying, but only because of convenience, not cost.

But with airline tickets prices up, too — AAA found that the average lowest airfare for this weekend is 6% higher than last year — that’s not a sure bet, either.

Tang reported from Phoenix. Associated Press video journalist Terry Chea in San Francisco contributed to this report.

clock This article was published more than  3 years ago

Summer trips all booked up? Don’t forget about the big cities.

Beach houses are booked. Rental cars are scarce. Enter: the big-city escape.

The summer beach houses have been booked for months. Rental car prices are through the roof — if you can even find one. National parks are as hot as ever. Much of the rest of the world is reopening slowly and with considerable hassle.

With 44 percent of adults in the United States fully vaccinated and more than 58 percent with at least one dose, the number of travelers is climbing in the country. According to a forecast released Tuesday, AAA expects more than 37 million people to travel over Memorial Day weekend — a sharp increase from last year that the group calls a “strong indicator for summer.”

“We are seeing many popular domestic destinations already selling out for the summer, especially national parks and beaches, due to pent-up demand for travel and many travelers opting to stay stateside,” Beth Washington, a travel adviser at the Virtuoso agency SmartFlyer, said in an email.

For those who haven’t started planning summer vacation, what is left to do?

Everything you need for the return of travel

Booking sites, destinations and other travel experts say one type of getaway is emerging for summer 2021 that wasn’t available last year because of coronavirus restrictions and safety fears: the big-city escape.

“If you are vaccinated and you want a room in midtown Manhattan to go and visit the MoMA or want to see the Lincoln Memorial, this summer might be the summer for you,” Brian Hoyt, spokesman for TripAdvisor, said in an email.

Metropolitan centers such as New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and D.C. — once buttoned up tight against travel — are targeting tourists with advertising campaigns, reopening announcements and big events. And with international travel still heavily restricted and business travel slow to pick up, those destinations have plenty of rooms to fill.

“I was on a call yesterday with an owner of a hotel saying, 'Hey, now that the demand for people staying in beaches, staying in lakes are so high, the [rates] in those environments will be high as well,” said Elliott L. Ferguson, president and CEO of Destination DC. “We might be able to capture indirectly some of that demand.”

Data from TripAdvisor shows that the markets with the slowest recovery for the summer — meaning lots of options for travelers — include New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and D.C.

Summer rentals are going fast. Here’s the best way to book a beach house this year.

Based on booking patterns, Expedia said, destinations including New York, New Orleans, Los Angeles and Orange County, Calif., and D.C. are likely to have more availability than beaches, outdoor recreation hubs and national parks, some of which are “attracting visitors at pre-pandemic levels.”

“It probably doesn’t come as a surprise to see that bigger cities are on our list, as it’s well known that many travelers chose less populated areas over the last year,” Expedia spokeswoman Anna Brown said in an email. “This summer, however, many cities are reopening to welcome back tourists, which means dining, entertainment, live music and shopping are all back on the menu.”

Chicago has announced the reopening of museums, the return of popular tourist site Navy Pier, and the comeback of events such as the Chicago Auto Show and Grant Park Music Festival this summer.

In New York City, which suffered devastating losses from the pandemic last year, the mayor recently set July 1 as the date for a full reopening. Recently, producers announced that Broadway shows would start to reopen in September. The destination, which is predicting more than 36 million visitors this year, is launching a $30 million marketing campaign next month to encourage the recovery of tourism with an early focus on summer visits.

Cue the lights: Broadway is back Sept. 14 with ‘Hamilton,’ ‘The Lion King’ and more

California is targeting June 15 as its reopening date. And while rural areas with fewer people and more space have seen high demand continue since last year, the state’s “gateways” such as Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Orange County have two-thirds of the hotel rooms.

“That’s exactly where the opportunities are,” said Ryan Becker, a spokesman for Visit California. “My family and I are planning some of those trips ourselves.”

He said the expectation is for tourists to have “very much a typical experience” in the summer, especially since bars, restaurants and cultural institutions are already opening.

“There is a lot to see and do,” he said. “So many of California’s urban destinations have these outdoor experiences built in.”

Why your next rental car might cost more than a plane ticket

In D.C., a $2.5 million recovery advertising campaign is targeting travelers among the 50 million people who live within a four-hour drive. International travelers, who spend more and stay longer, are not expected to return for some time still. The city is expecting between 14 and 15 million domestic visitors this year.

“At this point, we’ll take whatever we can get,” Ferguson said. “You’ve got an entire country and global community that’s going after any and all types of visitors out of necessity.”

The destination is promoting its famed museums, monuments and memorials — many of which are free — but also sports, restaurants, rooftops and other part of the city’s culture.

“We know the market is bullish in terms of people wanting to get out and do stuff,” Ferguson said.

Washington, the travel adviser, said that even for destinations that have availability, travelers should not wait too long to lock in their plans once they know what they want to do — after checking cancellation policies. Attractions may still require timed entrances or tickets in advance, and restaurants might have limited amounts of outdoor seating. Hotel prices might go up as more people make reservations.

“If you see something you are interested in — book it! — or you’ll risk losing the price or space,” she said in an email.

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Breaking news, rapper sean kingston arrested on california army base hours after swat raids florida mansion, nabs mother.

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Rapper Sean Kingston was arrested during his concert on a US Army base in California on Thursday while SWAT raided his Florida mansion , taking his mother into custody, earlier in the day.

The Broward County Sheriff’s Office said Kingston was arrested without incident for a Florida warrant on fraud and theft charges in the area of Fort Irwin, an Army base in the desert about 150 miles northeast of Los Angeles.

The rapper was billed to perform at the base for the United States Army’s Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Programs .

Video posted to social media allegedly shows law enforcement officers at Fort Irwin’s “Army Field” as Kingston performs “Eenie Meenie” on stage.

The rapper was booked into jail in San Bernardino at 5:02 p.m. during his scheduled set.

Earlier Thursday, Kingston’s 61-year-old mom, Janice Turner, was arrested when authorities swarmed the rapper’s luxurious Southwest Ranches property in Florida. She’s facing charges similar to her son’s.

Kingston was renting the mansion. 

The arrests were made in connection to allegations that Kingston swindled a tech company out of thousands of dollars in a deal over a television and speaker system.

In February, Ver Ver Entertainment LLC filed a lawsuit against Kingston, alleging breach of contract and fraud after the rapper reached out to the company on Instagram to purchase a 232-inch Colossal TV and a sound system.

The equipment would’ve cost at least $111,000, but Kingston supposedly promised to make promotional videos about the products with his friend Justin Bieber, the company alleged in the documents viewed by The Post. 

Kingston, 34, and Bieber, 30, famously collaborated on “Eenie Meenie,” which appeared on Bieber’s 2010 debut album.

At the time of the television purchase, however, Kingston had “no ongoing work” with the pop star, nor did he “have any intention” of making the promotional content, the lawsuit alleged.

“[Kingston] made these false statements to induce Plaintiff into a 232-inch installing Colossal TV and sound system with as small a down payment as possible,” the scathing filing claimed.

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A contract was agreed upon in October which outlined that Kingston would wire a $30,000 down payment before making a second payment for $47,827.16 and make social media posts worth over $38,000.

At the end of the deal, Kingston would have received the new television and sound system for only about $77,827.16 — almost $33,000 less than the original price.

But Kingston failed to meet his end of the agreement after the system was installed, including making the second payment and the promo videos.

Robert Rosenblatt, an attorney representing the rapper and his mother, said that “we are aware of some of the allegations” against the two.

“We look forward to addressing these in court and are confident of a successful resolution for Shawn and his mother,” Rosenblatt said.

Following the initial raid and his mother’s arrest, Kingston took to social media to defend himself.

“People love negative energy!” he posted to Instagram. “I am good and so is my mother! My lawyers are handling everything as we speak.” 

With Post wires

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California could require age verification to visit porn sites

By Ryan Sabalow  

CalMatters Writer  

Republican Assemblymember Juan Alanis, a former Stanislaus County sheriff’s sergeant, and San Ramon Democrat Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, a women’s rights advocate, may not have a lot in common.  

But last week they stood on the floor of the California Assembly and persuaded their colleagues to advance legislation that would have California join a handful of conservative states in passing laws requiring pornography sites to verify the ages of visitors to ensure they’re adults.  

“This bill is not about harming the adult entertainment industry or attacking those that work for it,” said Alanis, a former crimes-against-children detective. “This bill is simply about protecting children – and the harmful exposure to increasingly available and increasingly violent sexual material online.” 

Bauer-Kahan, a leading women’s rights advocate in the Legislature, told her Assembly colleagues that research shows 40% of college-aged women have reported being choked during sexual encounters, something she said their partners learned from watching porn.  

“We may think this is a purity issue, but it goes well beyond that,” she said. “It is about the safety of our children. It is about making sure that they learn healthy behaviors.” 

Their arguments resonated. None of the 80 members of the Assembly voted against Alanis’s Assembly Bill 3080, though 15 were listed as not voting. As CalMatters reported, lawmakers regularly decline to vote to avoid going on record against a controversial bill.  

Under the bill, porn sites would need to take “reasonable steps” to verify a user is an adult, such as using age-verification software or having the user provide the site a credit card or government-issued ID. The bill would require that any data collection would ensure the user’s anonymity and would not be used to create a record of the user’s online activity. 

The bill now moves to the Senate. There, the Democrat-controlled chamber is likely to hear testimony from the same parents’ rights and church groups, free speech advocates and porn producers who testified last month before the Assembly’s judiciary and consumer protection and privacy committees. 

Porn stars, conservative family groups orgs testify  

Joseph Kohm, director of public policy at the Colorado-based Family Policy Alliance, told the Assembly Judiciary Committee last month that children regularly visit online porn sites featuring sexual violence and verbal degradation. 

“And what this means is that they are learning about sexuality from a perspective that portrays sex as physical abuse,” Kohm told the committee. 

Free speech advocates countered that if California enacted the bill, it would stifle the First Amendment rights of adult Californians to access online porn. Members of the porn industry also testified it would reduce traffic to their sites if the restrictions are enacted as they have been in other states.  

Alison Boden, executive director of the Free Speech Coalition, a porn industry trade group, told the judiciary committee that less than 1% of porn-site users actually complete the age-verification process in states that have passed the requirement.  

“What they do, according to our data, is hit the back button and find a site that doesn’t comply with the law,” she said. 

Porn ID laws in other states  

Arkansas, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Kentucky have adopted age-verification requirements for porn sites based on “model legislation” from the Center for Renewing America, a conservative activist group, according to the California bill’s legislative analysis. The organization’s website lists its motto as “For God. For Country. For Community.” 

The bill’s legislative analysis noted that the online porn site Pornhub blocked users in those states after the age-verification requirements became law.

Last month, Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed a similar bill. 

Late last month, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the Free Speech Coalition’s challenge to the Texas law, which had been upheld by a federal appellate court.   

The laws are new, and some were immediately blocked from taking effect due to legal challenges, so there’s little public data about how effective they’ve been in preventing kids from accessing porn or the impact on web traffic to porn sites. 

The European Union in December passed its own age-verification law. Bauer-Kahan told the Assembly that California should follow those European countries’ lead.  

“Europe, which has much stronger privacy laws than our country, has done this,” she said. “They have found a way to put the verification of your age on your phone. A token is sent to the website without your personally identifiable information, and then you, if you’re an adult, can access legal pornography.” 

Alanis told the Assembly last week that his bill isn’t that different from how retailers have traditionally prevented children from accessing other types of adults-only products. His bill, he said, would include porn sites in the same California law that prevents children from purchasing products including tobacco, fireworks, spray paint and firearms. 

“I believe that California requires its own tailored approach,” he said. “That’s why my team and I have worked … to craft a workable bill using an existing statute that California has long used to protect our children from other types of harm.” 

The post California could require age verification to visit porn sites  appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal .

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Should California doctors report domestic abuse to police? Here’s how physician lawmakers voted

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Pending legislation would lift requirements for California’s doctors to report all domestic abuse cases to police. The Assembly’s three physicians had different opinions.

Lea esta historia en Español

Should doctors be required by law to notify police immediately if they suspect a patient is the victim of domestic violence? 

That question divided three physicians holding seats in the California Assembly when it came up for a vote this week. 

Under current law, health care providers face misdemeanor charges if they don’t report suspected abuse to police, even if patients don’t want the police involved. 

In recent years some advocates for domestic violence survivors say the mandatory reporting requirements have kept victims from seeking treatment. Advocates say victims fear that if police are called, they will get charged, their children will be taken from them or, in the case of undocumented immigrants, their families will be at risk of deportation.

“We have seen the ways in which the medical mandated reporting requirements for all violent injuries have kept survivors from seeking necessary health care in the first place, made survivors feel like they could never return to health care after they learned of the requirements, or made them feel like they could not share the reason for or the extent of certain injuries or health issues with their provider,” the bill’s author, Democratic Assemblymember Tina McKinnor of Inglewood, told the Assembly Public Safety Committee last month.

Read More: California can take kids from abused moms. Why the separation can harm both

McKinnor’s bill would require doctors and other health care providers to report to police only violence that requires treatment to save the patient’s life. In other suspected cases of abuse, if the patient doesn’t want to report the crime, the health care provider would be required to instead refer the patient to victim-advocate services. The bill still requires doctors to report suspected child and elder abuse.

McKinnor introduced a similar bill last year. It died in the state Senate after passing the Assembly. On Monday, this year’s bill barely made it through the full Assembly. A bill needs 41 votes to pass on the floor. This one had 42.

Learn more about legislators mentioned in this story.

Joaquin Arambula

Democrat, State Assembly, District 31 (Fresno)

Jasmeet Bains

Democrat, State Assembly, District 35 (Bakersfield)

Tina McKinnor

Democrat, State Assembly, District 61 (Inglewood)

Akilah Weber

Democrat, State Assembly, District 79 (La Mesa)

Democratic Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula , a former Fresno emergency room physician, was one of the 42 lawmakers, all Democrats, who voted for the bill. He told CalMatters on Thursday he voted to support the latest bill because it would require doctors to report life-threatening injuries. The previous bill, which he didn’t vote for, didn’t have that requirement. “I didn’t want to lose that, as we should focus on those who have the greatest risk to life,” he said. “And I believe that this is a good, measured approach.”

The other Assembly physician to vote for the bill was Assemblymember Akilah Weber of La Mesa, an obstetrician/gynecologist. She didn’t respond to CalMatters’ interview requests.

Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains , a family doctor from Bakersfield, was among the three Democratic Assemblymembers who voted “no,” along with 12 Republicans.

She told CalMatters Thursday she believes her fellow physicians regularly stop abuse from continuing when they make police reports. She’s worried families will suffer if doctors are no longer required to report. 

“I worry about family structures,” she said. “I worry about the environment that children grow up in should perpetrators not be held accountable, because sometimes it’s that one piece that breaks open that circle of violence in homes.”

Twenty-three bipartisan members of the Assembly didn’t cast votes on McKinnor’s bill. Not voting counts the same as voting “no.”

As CalMatters reported , lawmakers regularly decline to vote to avoid going on record against a controversial bill. 

The bill now moves to the Senate. Last year’s bill died after passing the Senate Public Safety Committee.

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Ryan Sabalow Digital Democracy Reporter

Ryan Sabalow is a Digital Democracy reporter for CalMatters. A graduate of Chico State University, he began his career covering local news for the Auburn Journal in Placer County and The Record Searchlight... More by Ryan Sabalow

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