Tom Kiely, President & CEO, Visit West Hollywood, Misti Kerns, President & CEO, Santa Monica Travel & Tourism, Colleen Bell, Executive Director California Film Commission, Caroline Beteta, President & CEO Visit California, Kathy Janega-Dykes, President & CEO Visit Santa Barbara and Julie Wagner, CEO Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau at the first ever Visit California Sales Mission to India
“Visit California has identified India as its top opportunity market for visitation growth and had increase its investment in India market,” said Caroline Beteta President & CEO, Visit California. She further said that 353,000 Indian travellers visited California in 2018, spending $1.1 billion in the state, with an average stay of 23.5 days. By 2023 it is estimated that Indian visitors will contribute over $1.5 billion to the state’s tourism economy.
Visit California hosted the organizations first Sales Mission to India at Delhi and Mumbai. The mission delegation, led by Visit California President & CEO Caroline Beteta, includes California destination CEOs and senior travel executive from more than18 leading destination, tourism attractions and hotels. The mission marks the tenth anniversary of visit California’s marketing activity in India. The delegates met with their Indian counterparts to create and grow relationship that make it easier for Indian visitors to come to California and are tapping into various segments including Millennial travellers, self drive enthusiasts, and luxury lovers, taking advantage of this excellent opportunity to reinforce California’s positions as a premier destination for Indian travellers.
The Sales Mission and fact-finding mission hosted by California’s Bay Area Council, was both joined by California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, adding additional diplomatic impact to each delegations presence. In Delhi, Beteta was joined by the executive Director of the California Film Commission, Colleen Bell. Beteta and Bell met with the Film Producers Guild of India to unveil the “California Incentive Collection,’ a set of offerings and incentives from California destinations and the California Film Commission. Offers will be available to the Guild, as well as other film, television and content production houses from India to encourage increased entertainment production in California.
Visit California is a nonprofit organisation with a mission to develop and maintain marketing programs in partnership with the states travel industry that keep California top of mind as a premier travel destination. The mission provides Visit California’s partners with an opportunity to strengthen existing partnerships and develop new relationships in the market.
