2026 - 2027 Fiscal Report

FISCAL YEAR REPORT

JULY 1, 2025 – JUNE 30, 2026

INTRODUCTION

DEAR SANTA MONICA DESTINATION PARTNER,

On behalf of the Board of Directors, Tourism Marketing District Committee, and Santa Monica Travel & Tourism team, we are pleased to present our 2025-2026 Fiscal Year Report.

Over the past several years, Santa Monica has demonstrated meaningful progress, resilience, and growth. At the same time, the current global environment presents real and evolving headwinds that continue to shape the trajectory of our recovery.

A complex mix of geopolitical instability, shifting federal travel policies, and changes in traveler sentiment has created increased friction in the travel experience, impacting both international demand and overall destination competitiveness.

Historically, international visitors have accounted for approximately half of Santa Monica’s visitation and remain a critical driver of our local economy. These travelers stay longer, spend more, and contribute significantly to our hotels, restaurants, retail businesses, and cultural institutions. Recent national trends, including declines

in international visitation, increased costs and barriers to entry, and reduced global marketing visibility for the United States, have created a more competitive and uncertain landscape for destinations like ours.

In response, Santa Monica Travel & Tourism has adopted a disciplined and strategic approach that balances near term opportunity with long term growth. We are prioritizing domestic and regional visitation in the short term while maintaining sustained investment in key international markets. This approach ensures we remain competitive today while positioning Santa Monica for future global recovery.

Perception continues to play a powerful role in travel decision making. Increased scrutiny around travel to the United States, combined with broader global tensions, reinforces the need for clear and consistent messaging. Our role as brand stewards is essential. We remain focused on ensuring Santa Monica is represented accurately as a welcoming, accessible, and world-class destination that delivers exceptional visitor experiences.

Despite these challenges, there are strong reasons for optimism. Santa Monica is uniquely positioned to benefit from an unprecedented period of global attention, with major international events including the 2026 FIFA World Cup ™ ,

2027 Super Bowl, and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games bringing millions of travelers to our region. As the iconic coastal gateway to Los Angeles, Santa Monica stands ready to convert this global visibility into meaningful economic impact.

This fiscal year, Santa Monica launched a sister organization Film Santa Monica responsible for film permitting. This allows us to attract and support film, television, commercial, and digital content production throughout the city. As part of the program’s rollout, new filming projects create destination brand ambassadors through authentic content that showcases Santa Monica’s unique sense of place while strengthening the city’s overall brand visibility and storytelling efforts.

Tourism remains a cornerstone of Santa Monica’s economy, supporting local businesses, sustaining jobs, and generating critical tax revenue that funds essential city services. Prior to the pandemic, visitor spending approached two billion dollars annually, with tourism contributing more than half of the City’s general fund

revenues. Protecting and growing this economic engine remains central to our mission.

Looking ahead, our focus is clear. We will work to future-proof Santa Monica’s market share through strategic investment, data-driven decision making, and strong public/private partnerships. Through continued collaboration with the City, local businesses, and community stakeholders, we are committed to delivering a destination experience that benefits residents and visitors alike.

Santa Monica’s strength has always been rooted in its community. Together, we will continue to adapt, innovate, and lead, ensuring our destination not only competes, but thrives in an increasingly dynamic global travel landscape.

Sincerely,

Misti Kerns, CMP CDME President/CEO

Santa Monica Travel & Tourism

ABOUT

WHO WE ARE

Santa Monica Travel & Tourism is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting Santa Monica as a premier leisure, business, and group travel destination. In partnership with the City of Santa Monica and funded through both City support and the Tourism Marketing District, our role is to build, protect, and elevate the destination’s brand while driving economic impact for the community.

As the official destination marketing and management organization, we serve as both a strategic marketer and a community partner. Our work extends beyond attracting visitors. We connect travelers to local businesses, support job creation, generate tax revenue, and help sustain the experiences that make Santa Monica a vibrant place to live, work, and visit.

Tourism is a critical economic engine for Santa Monica. Visitor spending supports hotels, restaurants, retail, and cultural institutions while funding essential city services that benefit residents. Through targeted sales, marketing, communications, and visitor services programs, we ensure that Santa Monica remains competitive in an increasingly dynamic global travel landscape.

Our approach is guided by a cohesive strategic plan and grounded in data-driven decision making. We focus on driving balanced demand, enhancing the destination experience, championing the value of tourism, strengthening partnerships, and ensuring operational excellence. This work is carried out in close collaboration with City leadership, local businesses, and community stakeholders to ensure that tourism supports both economic vitality and quality of life.

At our core, we are brand stewards, storytellers, and advocates for Santa Monica. We are committed to ensuring that the destination is not only recognized around the world, but experienced in a way that is welcoming, authentic, and reflective of the community we serve.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Charlie Lopez-Quintana - Chair, Executive Committee

VP & Managing Director, ETC Hotels

Jeff Klocke - Vice Chair, Executive Committee

Chief Executive Officer, Pacific Park

Simon Fricker - Treasurer, Executive Committee

General Manager, Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows

Karen Ginsberg - Secretary, Executive Committee

Resident

Neil Carrey - Member

Resident

Darlene Evans - Member

Resident

Tim Defuria - Member

Resident

Lauralee Asch - Member

Resident

Jan Williamson - Member

Executive Director, 18th Street Arts Center

Oliver Chi - Member

City Manager, City of Santa Monica

Judy Kruger - Chamber Liaison

President & CEO, Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce

TOURISM MARKETING DISTRICT COMMITTEE

Aileen Carreon – Chair

VP of Sales and Marketing, ETC Hotels

Juan Viramontes – Vice Chair

General Manager, The Gateway Hotel Santa Monica

Armando Campos – Secretary/Treasurer

Managing Director, Santa Monica Proper Hotel

Shahid Kayani – Member

Regional Director of Operations, Hilton Santa Monica Hotel & Suites

Karina Sedigh – Member

General Manager, The Pierside Santa Monica

Daniel Gregory – Member

Owner, Ocean Lodge Hotel

Sonia Metz – Member

Owner, Sea Shore Motel

Simon Fricker – Member

General Manager, Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows

Inessa Udovchenko – Member

General Manager, The Shore Hotel

STAFF

Executive Leadership Team

Misti Kerns - President/Chief Executive Officer

Evan Edwards - Chief Operating Officer

Rachel Lozano - Chief People Officer

Haylee Jost - Executive Assistant

Travel Industry Sales

Aleksandr Sigalus - Director of Global Business Development

Tatum McGovern - Global Sales & Services Assistant Manager

Meetings & Incentives

Ozzie Otero - Director of Sales

Emilie Corlin - Global Sales & Services Coordinator

Marketing

Ashley Dowgwillo - Vice President of Marketing

Gillian Theis - Marketing Manager

Lauren Ruminer - Marketing Coordinator

Serena Ingram - Marketing Assistant

Communications

Lauren Salisbury - Vice President of Communications

Michelle Cassidy - Communications Manager

Emily Ohara - Public Relations Manager

Indigo Sargent - Social Media Manager

Jamie Hogan - Public Relations Coordinator

Client Services

Alyssa Dorn - Senior Client Services Manager

Linsey Gagliardi - Client Services Coordinator

Accounting

Jacky Saquic - Accounting Manager

Cassidy Lawless - Accounting Coordinator

Verlyn Juwono - Accounting Assistant

Visitor Services

Aaron Seals - Director of Visitor Services

Vinnie Edwards - Retail Coordinator

Luis Vazquez - Operations Coordinator

Juan Vazquez - Travel Specialist

Film Santa Monica

Jenna Kirkeeng - Permit Coordinator

Ashlyn Martin - Permit Coordinator

MISSION STATEMENT

Santa Monica Travel & Tourism works to strengthen our local economy by enhancing and promoting our community as a distinctive, compelling and welcoming travel destination.

VISION

To ensure Santa Monica is recognized as the premier beach-city destination in the world.

BRAND PROMISE

Santa Monica…an unforgettable beach city experience filled with eye-catching people, cutting edge culture and bold innovations. It’s the essence of the California lifestyle.

STRATEGIC DIRECTION

STRATEGIC PLAN

INTRODUCTION

Santa Monica Travel and Tourism operates from a cohesive strategic plan to promote our destination and boost economic development for our city. This promotion encourages visitor spending and helps sustain and create local jobs that spur economic growth and help improve the quality of life for Santa Monica residents. Our twoyear rolling strategic plan continues to align with the strategies in the Santa Monica Experience Management Plan (EMP), which provides a roadmap for destination success through 2032 and is actively being lined up with initiatives in the City of Santa Monica’s Realignment Plan.

To enhance our strategic approach, we launched Film Santa Monica, a sister organization responsible for film permitting in the city. Film tourism allows an unparalleled reach at a scale traditional advertising can’t match, encouraging year round visits from dedicated fan bases and an emotional connection as film making embeds a destination into an immersive storyline.

Following global disruptions from the pandemic, we continue to see growth in travel and tourism to Santa Monica as well as economic recovery; however, we remain conscious of the need to continually respond to shifts in the travel industry and the community. While the needs, programs and markets may have been altered in response to emergent activity,

Santa Monica Travel & Tourism’s five strategic areas of focus remain:

1 2 3 4 5

Drive Balanced Demand for the Destination

Enhance the Brand and Steward the Destination Experience

Actively Champion the Value of Tourism Strengthen Strategic Partnerships

VALUES

COLLABORATION | CREATIVITY | ENTHUSIASM | EXPERTISE | LEADERSHIP

We cultivate a diverse, inspiring team culture that fosters creative and enthusiastic individuals who elevate the Santa Monica experience through collaboration and expert leadership.

REPUTATION

What do we want to be known for as an organization?

We are: STRATEGIC | BOLD | CREATIVE | EFFECTIVE | CARING | PROFESSIONAL | AUTHENTIC

DESTINATION POSITION

What unique and sustainable value does Santa Monica deliver?

We deliver: ICONIC ATTRACTIONS | ARTS & CULTURE | WELLNESS CULTURE ACCESSIBILITY AND MOBILITY | WELCOMING TO ALL

VISION

To ensure Santa Monica is recognized as the premier beach-city destination in the world

MISSION

We strengthen our local economy by enhancing and promoting our community as a distinctive, compelling and welcoming travel destination.

IMPERATIVES SUCCESS INDICATORS

• Increase year over year (YOY) transient occupancy tax (TOT) and average daily rate (ADR).

Drive balanced demand for the destination.

Enhance the brand and steward the destination experience.

• Increase domestic travel levels from target markets.

• Increase international visitation from key target markets.

• Grow average length-of-stay from 1.46 to 1.73 nights.

• Increase overnight visitation to support key regional and local events.

• Position Santa Monica as the premier overnight base for regional events.

• Maintain positive social sentiment across core brand pillars: accommodations, dining, retail, wellness, cleanliness and safety.

• Optimize branding and assets to ensure cohesive collateral.

• Expand luxury brand photography and collateral for luxury markets and MICE (Y1 & Y2).

• Increase web performance SEO, increase monthly visits, page visits per visit, average time on site by 5-8% (YOY).

• Increase partner referrals by 5 - 10% (YOY).

• Establish In house visitor guide production and ad sales (Y1).

• Increase efforts to grow Santa Monica’s culinary tourism brand.

• Launch Marketing Committee with community marketing experts.

• Expand industry recognition opportunities.

• Increases partner referrals 5-10% (YOY).

• Increase positive press coverage for: destination 10% (YOY); India market 20% (Y1); Mexico 20% (Y2); Middle East market 20% (Y3 & Y4); Brazil market by 20% (Y5).

• Increase Social Media followers YOY 1 – 5%.

• Increase branded retail merchandise sales by 10% (YOY).

• Implement Route 66 centennial campaigns (Y1 & Y2).

• Highlight Santa Monica’s 150th Anniversary campaign (Y1).

• Steward the Experience Management Plan (EMP) (YOY).

• Launch AI tool on santamonica.com (Y1).

Actively champion the value of tourism.

• Establish base line for resident sentiment of tourism (Y1).

• Achieve consistently positive resident sentiment towards tourism (Y2).

• Achieve a minimum of $30K (Y1), $50K (Y2) and $60K (Y3) in charitable/donated/ in-kind value through the Santa MoniCARES Foundation. Maintain a minimum $60K (Y4 & Y5).

• Increase and maintain engagement level with City Council members and Santa Monica boards and commissions and other local non-profits.

• Achieve and share positive tourism economic outcomes as indicated in the Tourism Economic Impact Report.

• Visitor Center locations re-design to better serve visitors and residents.

• Expand on opportunities to incentivize/reach Santa Monica residents to use our services.

INITIATIVES

• Participate in ILTM Latin America (Brazil) (Y1).

• Re-enter India Travel Industry Sales (TIS) Market (Y1).

• Enter Mexico PR and TIS Market (Y2).

• Explore Emerging Markets – PR and TIS Middle East (Y3).

• Attended ILTM Shows based on partner participation (Y4).

• Explore Emerging Marketing – Nordics & Middle East (Y4).

JULY 2025 - JUNE, 30, 2026

• Pursue opportunities for trade and travel shows in emerging markets, pending budget.

• Elevate brand collateral for luxury segment and MICE (Y1).

• Submit SMTT to brand design, travel, hospitality, and group/MICE industry publication awards.

• Make seasonal landing pages and Trip Planner more robust with partner suggestions/specials.

• Increase dynamic itineraries on website to drive traffic, increase SEO, highlight new luxury offerings.

• Plan and create Route 66 landing page, events, partner involvement opportunities.

• Collaborate with Visit California on culinary offerings, through participation in the Visit California Culinary Committee.

• Launch marketing committee (Y1).

• Santa Monica Swim Week (Y2).

• Expand retail merchandise line through custom merchandise creation and brand partnerships.

• Capitalize and grow Santa Monica businesses that are utilizing partner portal services and are scheduled for Threshold 360 services.

• Increase web traffic to seasonal landing pages and partner specials year over year (Y1-Y5).

• Support current EMP committees and add additional committees, in line with next goals (Y2-Y5).

• Conduct quarterly intercept surveys measuring annual economic impacts of tourism.

• Establish biannual surveys of resident sentiment of tourism in Santa Monica.

• Continue briefings with city council members, city staff and maintain affiliation with local Business Improvement District leadership and cultivate new opportunities to enhance tourism messaging and engagement.

• Retain position on SMBRC SM Bay Restoration Commission, voting board member, tourism state representative.

• Maintain engagement and board service of SMTT staff on key industry specific boards, U.S. Travel, California Travel Association, Brand USA and others to support federal, state and local tourism education on the benefits of tourism.

• Share and educate on Global Entry Program importance and reducing visa wait times.

• Hold fundraising partnerships and events for Santa MoniCARES that encourage participation from the industry and community who wish to give back.

• Emphasize local emergency occurrences with Santa MoniCARES to increase charitable donations and in-kind (example: LA Wildfire Relief).

• Identify new opportunities for SMTT board member engagement and development.

• Redesign Visitor Center services, locations, programs to accommodate growing needs for residents, visitors, and retail.

• Work with EMP committee members to identify next priorities for (Y2-Y3) and (Y5-Y8) time periods.

IMPERATIVES SUCCESS INDICATORS

• Generate minimum $265K (Y1) and $300K (Y2) inkind/fair share and grow annually 10%.

• Secure a minimum $175K outside sponsorship dollars to offset program costs (Y1) and grow annually by 8%.

Strengthen strategic partnerships.

• Further establish cooperative opportunities with like brands.

• Increase media reach with Agency of Record (AOR).

• Increase regional and local events by aligning with city staff on recommended changes of policy and guidelines.

• Support City of Santa Monica’s brand identity development related to economic growth, partnership and sponsorship opportunities.

Ensure operational excellence.

• Maintain and strengthen audit compliance (YOY).

• Relaunch customized real time SMTT dashboard (Y1).

• Complete Tourism Marketing District (TMD) renewal process (Y2).

• Explore Tourism Improvement District (TID) as a permanent voluntary program (Y1).

• Improve SMTT Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives (YOY).

• Increase SMTT staff participation in community events that align with our mission, vision and values (YOY).

• Conduct an annual board and leadership summit.

• Expanding emergency, safety training and implementation (Y1 & Y2).

• Update crisis plan to reflect climate change and geopolitical threats to travel and tourism (Y1).

• Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) renewal (Y1).

• Lower employee turnover rate to 6% (Y1).

• Maximize organizational efficiency methods ongoing and annually.

• Maintain electric shuttle service and explore future alternatives (Y1).

INITIATIVES

JULY 2025 - JUNE, 30, 2026

• Further leverage SMTT staff members board or liaison role on BIDS, boards and Commissions.

• Increase sponsorship by offering visitor information centers, mobile vehicle for takeovers and activations.

• Outreach and increase local business participation in regional and local events via co-ops.

• Expand partner opportunities FAM tours, trade shows and media.

• Identify brand partnerships; advertising, retail, experiences, etc. (Y1 & Y2).

• Complete Tourism Marketing District (TMD) Renewal (Y1 & Y2).

• EMP year over year increase in engagement and participation of community members.

• Increase participation in I Am Santa Monica by 10% (Y1 & Y2) and 5% annually.

• Rebrand and increase sales of the I Am your Destination 26/27.

• Continually review internal audit controls, update SOPs and internal reporting. Regular expenses analysis to identify potential cost savings. Develop quarterly accountability scorecards for individual departments.

• Launch our improved and customized real-time SMTT dashboard (Y1).

• To begin our renewal of TMD in (Y1), with completion aimed at (Y3).

• Conduct a TMD impact study engaging local stakeholders in the process, define our proposed TMD assessment structure. Engage in stakeholder and city process for completion in (Y2-Y3).

• Assess the current TID performance, conduct a TID impact study (Y1).

• Explore options for continuing current TID Program on a voluntary basis and investigate the process of a permanent voluntary TID.

• Improve professional development plans for SMTT staff, launch employee recognition plans, improving our DEI initiatives to foster an environment where all feel welcomed and respected.

• Identify events that support tourism, sustainability, culture and the community such as beach cleanups, small businesses, festivals and well-being events. Launch a community engagement committee run by staff which fosters peer to peer engagement.

• Leaning into culture, encouraging the team to feel ownership and have a say in our strategic planning process.

• Include emergency planning training on CPR initiative, Narcan at locations, deescalation training and 5 leaders to attend Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training. Conduct annual drills with staff.

• Launch Asana platform for team project management solutions.

• Invest in additional familiarization and team building activities in the destination, to strengthen employee confidence and satisfaction.

• Explore with city staff alternative options of funding shuttle services.

• Update SMTT crisis plan and media statements to align with climate change, cost concerns and geo-political threats to travel and tourism.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

TOURISM IN SANTA MONICA

Tourism is one of the largest industries in Santa Monica, providing a positive impact for all those who live, work and play in our beachside city.

6,444

Tourism jobs that stay in Santa Monica and cannot be exported (0.7% decrease from 2024)

$996.6 MIL

Total annual visitor spending (Up 9% from 2024)

$60.2 MIL

Generated by Santa Monica hotels directly to the City of Santa Monica’s general fund (10% decrease from 2024)

3.9 MIL

8% decrease in total number of visitors to Santa Monica from 2024.

ALL VISITORS

Top International Feeder Markets

1. Western Europe 23.5%

2. Central & Eastern Europe 14.4%

3. United Kingdom/Ireland 12.9%

4. Australia/New Zealand 7.9%

5. Scandinavia 7.6%

Top Domestic Feeder Markets

$1,267

Estimated equivalent tax in city services per Santa Monica household from sales and Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) realized by the City from Santa Monica visitors.

1. California 29.6%

2. Texas 7.6%

3. Arizona 6.7%

4. Illinois 4.2%

5. Utah 3.8%

$5.8 MIL

Retail sales tax revenue generated from visitors into the City of Santa Monica’s general fund. (36% increase from 2024)

2025 origin share was divided about 50%, with 1.9 million each for international and domestic visitors. However, international volume grew by 4% from last year while domestic volume fell by 17%. Coupled with their $310 ($169) per-capita spending, total international spending reached $602 million ($471 million), a robust 28% spike, while U.S. domestic spending fell by 11% to $395 ($445.6) million. Tourism generates millions for the local economy and the City general fund, supporting essential services like police, fire, parks, library and local education.

4.1%

Increase in international travelers from 2024.

EXPERIENCE MANAGEMENT PLAN

THE SANTA MONICA EXPERIENCE MANAGEMENT PLAN

PURPOSE

The Santa Monica Experience Management Plan (EMP) provides a 10-year (2022-2032) framework and shared roadmap of ideas and strategies to steward and elevate the Santa Monica experience for residents, the workforce and visitors. The EMP process is deeply customized to the local context in Santa Monica with the intention of creating a future where community and environmental needs are considered with the same weight as economic benefits, resulting in a thriving and welcoming community far into the future.

The initial EMP was created in partnership with the City of Santa Monica, approved and ready to launch in 2020, but was put on hold due to the pandemic. In early 2022, the plan was updated and rebuilt by working with many stakeholders across the Santa Monica community, just as we had done in the first version of the plan’s development.

The process of implementation will continue to unfold over the coming years through 2032. There is much to do as we lock arms and embark on this important journey to maximize our collective impact and move toward a shared vision for the future together.

For the first years of the plan, we have focused on implementing programs for four of our nine key strategies. A committee has been created for each of these strategies consisting of key members of the community. Each committee includes an SMTT facilitator to ensure open communication between all stakeholders in the EMP process.

2022-CURRENT

• Ensure Santa Monica continues to be a safe and clean place

• Support livability for Santa Monica residents

• Highlight and leverage cultural and historic experiences

• Promote a diversity of retail, dining and evening experiences

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

• Foster memorable accommodation experiences that enhance the value proposition

• Facilitate the viability of small and unique businesses

• Sustainably invest in making Santa Monica the greenest beach city in the United States

• Support and enhance Santa Monica’s most important assets

• Enhance mobility for Santa Monica visitors, residents and workforce

A Governance Committee also has been created to ensure that progress is made on each strategy and to prioritize both short- and long-term goals. While SMTT is spearheading this process, we will not control or own all the initiatives that will be pursued. This is a citywide process. Additionally, the City Council adopted the Realignment Plan, a strategic, multi-year $60 million initiative built around five objectives: Achieving Safe Neighborhoods & Clean Streets, Activating Economic Opportunity & Growth, Developing Affordable, Livable & Secure Housing for All, Creating Organizational Capacity, and Building Organizational Health. As we move forward, the plan’s flexibility will allow for implementation of strategies that have been outlined in the EMP while further building out the plan for future years.

SUMMARY

WHAT IS AN EXPERIENCE MANAGEMENT PLAN?

A 10-year framework designed to ensure compelling experiences, quality infrastructure and remarkable services for generations to come.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY?

It provides an inclusive and transparent opportunity to take part in proactively shaping the future of Santa Monica as a destination.

THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT CONTINUE TO SHAPE OUR PLAN:

INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATION

SANTA MONICA TRAVEL & TOURISM AROUND THE GLOBE

Santa Monica Travel & Tourism (SMTT) continues to prioritize strategic international representation as a cornerstone of its global outreach and marketing efforts, reinforcing Santa Monica’s presence in key markets around the world. While global economic

and geopolitical conditions continue to influence travel patterns, maintaining strong international relationships and market visibility remains critical to sustaining long-term visitation and growth. As an iconic coastal city with a vibrant blend of

CANADA

Pulse Travel Marketing

Full-Time Trade & PR Representation

UNITED KINGDOM / IRELAND

MMGY

Full-Time Trade & PR Representation

SANTA MONICA, CA

Santa Monica Travel & Tourism Main Administration Office & 3 Visitor Information Centers

FRANCE

mN’Organisation

Full-Time Trade & PR Representation

leisure, lifestyle, and culture, Santa Monica remains a highly desirable destination for international travelers seeking an authentic Southern California experience. International visitation plays a significant role in supporting the local economy, generating visitor spending across hotels, restaurants, attractions, retail businesses, and other tourism-related sectors. To support demand and respond to evolving traveler sentiment, SMTT maintains trade and public relations representation in Australia and New Zealand, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom and Ireland, along with dedicated public relations representation in India. These in-market teams provide ongoing consumer insights, strengthen

GERMANY

MSi GmbH Full-Time Trade & PR Representation

Sartha Global Part-Time PR Representation

AUSTRALIA / NEW ZEALAND

GTI Tourism Full-Time Trade & PR Representation

industry partnerships, support media engagement, and ensure Santa Monica remains competitive in an increasingly dynamic global marketplace. Some of these markets, including Canada and Germany witnessed bigger impacts than others. SMTT also continues to evaluate emerging opportunities in high-potential markets, including Mexico and the Middle East, while leveraging data, market intelligence, and evolving communications strategies to address traveler concerns and inspire future visitation. This balanced approach positions Santa Monica to capitalize on future international growth while remaining responsive to changing global conditions.

UNITED KINGDOM IRELAND &

IN-MARKET ACTIVITIES

• Trained more than 30 travel agents at key tour operators, including Abercrombie & Kent, Carrier, and Click & Go, deepening product knowledge with a focus on curated experiences and high-value traveler trends.

• Delivered in-person training across eight retail locations in Cheltenham and Bristol, including Hays Travel, Kuoni, Virgin Atlantic Holidays, and Trailfinders. A total of 32 travel agents were trained, increasing awareness of hotel updates, the Route 66 centennial, and related events.

• Hosted a Brand USA webinar to more than 80 travel agents, enhancing product knowledge with a strong focus on curated experiences and Route 66. One participating agent from Tropical Sky received a shopping voucher provided by SMTT United Kingdom.

• Attended Brand USA Travel Week, scheduling 40 meetings and conducting 18 one-to-one appointments with tour operators from the UK and Ireland over four days.

• Participated in Unite USA, conducting 14 one-to-one meetings with United Kingdom-based tour operators.

• Distributed four trade newsletters to a targeted database of more than 300 sales agents and product managers.

• Q1 Open Rate: 40.1% | Click Through Rate (CTR): 6.6%

• Q2 Open Rate: 41.4% | Click Through Rate (CTR): 6.1%

• Q3 Open Rate: 25.6% | Click Through Rate (CTR): 4.6%

• Q4 Open Rate: 25.0% | Click Through Rate (CTR): 4.7%

• Hosted a Sales and Media Mission in London with partners including Huntley Hotel Santa Monica Beach, On Location Experiences, and United Airlines. The program included 19 sales agents and product managers and 11 media representatives, along with four desk-side trade meetings and six media meetings.

• Hosted a FAM trip in partnership with Brand USA for 10 United Kingdom and Ireland travel advisors and two Brand USA representatives, featuring destination experiences and site inspections.

• Hablo - travel agent training platform:

• New followers: 969

• Total followers: 6,728

• Post impression: 56,700

• Post interactions: 28,700

• Hablo posts scheduled and posted: 56

CAMPAIGNS

Route 66 Song Contest

• Produced and distributed a dedicated spotlight email to the targeted United Kingdom & Ireland database of 340 recipients in December.

• Open Rate: 20.5%

• Click Through Rate: 4.3%

• Worked with Visit USA Ireland to distribute a dedicated website post, digital magazine and social posts for March 2026.

• Website article published 12 March 2026

• Over 2,000 views per month

• Digital magazine issued 12 March 2026

• Distributed to over 400 trade contacts and approximately 800 consumer subscribers

• Social Media Post #1, 12 March 2026

• Social Media Post #2, 13 March 2026

• Social Media Post #3, 14 March 2026

• Social Media Post #4, 15 March 2026

• Contest details shared with Visit USA United Kingdom and published on their website as a blog post. Route 66 three-day itinerary shared with the team and added to the Route 66 page for the 2026 travel planner.

Visit California Monthly Newsletter

• Shared monthly updates on Santa Monica for potential inclusion in the Visit California newsletter,

July 2025

• Reach: 1,365

• Clicks: 1,087

• Open Rate: 35%

• CTR: 5.1%

August 2025

• Reach: 1,365

• Clicks: 3,321

• Open Rate: 40%

• CTR: 18.4%

November 2025

• Reach: 1,356

• Clicks: 254

• Open Rate: 23%

• CTR: 3.5%

January 2025

• Reach: 1,342

• Clicks: 760

• Open Rate: 28.1%

• CTR: 760

• Most clicked article of all partner links

Visit California Wanderlust x British Airways Holidays (BA Holidays) Campaign

• Participated in the Visit California Wanderlust x BA Holidays campaign for February–June 2026 for Tier 3 activity.

• This premium, multi-channel campaign combines immersive Wanderlust editorial content and newsletter promotion with BA Holidays conversion pathways and trade engagement via Club California training. The activity is designed to drive aspirational storytelling around key California themes while delivering a clear route to booking through BA Holidays.

UNITED KINGDOM IRELAND &

VISITOR INFORMATION

Demographic Profile:

• Age and Generation to California: The largest age group is 16–24 (29%), followed by 35–44 (21%) and 25–34 (19%). From a generational perspective, Millennials (35%) and Gen X (31%) represent the majority of the target audience (Visit California, 2025).

• Income: While 43% prefer not to disclose their income, 17% are classified as high-income earners (earning >200% of the median), and 18% were high spenders on their most recent vacation (Visit California, 2025).

• Geography: The primary regions for these travelers are London (19%), the South East (13%), and the North West (12%). Notably, Wales has the highest concentration index at 122, meaning travelers from there are 22% more likely to consider California than the average United Kingdom international traveler (Visit California, 2025).

Booking Behavior

• The United Kingdom remains the highest overseas arrivals to the US for January 2026. YOY arrivals were +0.52% increase on 2024 YOY arrivals (NTTO, 2026).

• 9% of the total UK adult general population (aged 16+) are currently considering California as a destination for international leisure travel in the next 12 months (Visit California, 2025).

• 50% of 2026 “peaks” bookings (peaks are the highest booking period of the year, following Christmas and New Year holidays - January 2026) are for summer 2026, with May being the most popular departure month (TTG Media, 2026).

• California’s visitation from the United Kingdom is projected to reach 619,000 in 2026 (+2% YoY) (Visit California, 2025).

• The United Kingdom is projected to be one of the top three growth markets globally to the U.S. (alongside China and Germany) for increasing visitor nights between 2025 and 2030 (WTM Global Travel Report, 2025).

ACCOMMODATION PREFERENCES:

• 42% of travelers are now more interested in “all-inclusive” options or discounted experiences compared to two years ago (WTM Global Travel Report, 2025).

• 56% prefer luxury hotels; 35% of UK outbound travelers stayed in 5-star properties in 2024 (ABTA 2025).

MOTIVATIONS:

• Culinary discovery, beach wellness, outdoor activities, beyond the crowd and sports led tourism (Visit California, 2025).

TRAVEL PLANNING TRENDS:

• 46% typically use a tour operator and 9% use a retail travel agency to book accommodations (Visit California, 2025).

• The United Kingdom remains the top overseas market for visitation to the US and sits 4.67% up in August 2025 vs August 2024 (NTTO, 2025).

• With 2025’s high inflation and squeezed household budgets, many United Kingdom travelers are becoming more cautious—66% are planning holidays abroad but 77% are concerned about currency exchange rates. Cost is still a vital factor (BBC News, 2025).

• Intent to visit the US among international travelers dipped from 28% in January to 23% in April 2024, but has begun to rebound, reaching 25% by June, while inbound visitation totaled 15.9 million through June (down 1.2% year over year), and despite a projected 8% drop to 66.5 million visitors in 2025, growth is expected to resume by 2026 (Travel Weekly, 2025).

• United Kingdom travelers are less fazed by political situations and motivated by price point. This is a key deciding factor on booking holidays at the moment (Travel Gossip, 2025).

OUTLOOK AND TRENDS

Event led travel for the United Kingdom traveler:

• The 100-year anniversary of Route 66 in 2026 is highlighted as a key cultural moment for United Kingdom travelers seeking iconic experiences, alongside the lead-up to the 2028 LA Olympics (WTM Global Travel Report, 2025).

• Specific “bucket list” events are expected to re-engage UK and European travelers. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is cited as a major opportunity to unlock growth and counter the “substitution effect” (WTM Global Travel Report, 2025).

• 47% of British travelers are likely to attend a local sporting event while abroad (Expedia Trends Report, 2026).

Beyond the crowd destinations for the United Kingdom traveler:

• Travelers are actively seeking alternatives to over-visited spots, prioritizing destinations that offer meaningful experiences and sustainable tourism management. This “Detour Destination” trend highlights a shift toward less crowded “second cities” or

TRADE & MEDIA ENGAGEMENTS

• In-Market Sales Calls: 114

• Trade Events/Workshops: 13

• FAMs: 1

• Carrier FAM

• FAM Participants: 2

• Agents/Operators Trained: 229

• Webinars: 4

• Newsletters: 4

hidden gems (Expedia Trends Report, 2026).

Luxury Travel Preferences on the Rise

• 58% of United Kingdom travelers prefer to stay in luxury hotels when visiting California (Visit California UK Market Profile, 2025), with 35% staying in five-star accommodation—up 30% year-on-year (ABTA 2025).

• August saw a 4.4% year-on-year increase in spend with Travel Agents (Barclays Consumer Spend Report, 2025).

Booking Trends Linked to Seasonality

• Peak planning periods are April–May and September–October, making these key activation windows for campaign launches (MMGY Portrait of a European Traveller, 2025).

• United Kingdom travelers are less fazed by political situations and motivated by price point. This is a key deciding factor on booking holidays at the moment (Travel Gossip, 2025).

GERMANY

IN-MARKET ACTIVITIES

• Trained 107 travel agents at the Visit USA Roadshow in Düsseldorf and Leipzig.

• Hosted the Visit California “Race Across California” FAM from Germany, welcoming four top travel advisors and media for several days of immersive site inspections, diverse culinary experiences, and signature Santa Monica experiences.

• Hosted four top German sellers for a FAM based at The Eden Hotel, showcasing Santa Monica through curated culinary, wellness, and cultural experiences.

• Participated in a B2C webinar with 313 participants in cooperation with Flamingo Company Fernreisen.

• Participated in IPW 2026 in Fort Lauderdale to strengthen and build relationships with leading international tour operators.

• Participated in a Visit USA Germany Expert event in Bremen, training 80 travel agents.

CAMPAIGNS

• Launched a multilayered SoCal triangle online campaign in partnership with Greater Palm Springs and San Diego with CANUSA.

• Impressions: 9,522,651

• Timing: October - December 2025

• Ran a SoCal triangle advertisement campaign in cooperation with the Fitness Center chain “Fitness Frist” with CRD.

• 1,200 posters in lockers

• 2,400 flyers at front desks

• Impressions: 1,488,458 in all 12 gyms

• Locations: 12 gyms across Germany (Hamburg, Frankfurt, Cologne, Dresden, Munich & Leipzig)

• Timing: January 2 - 29 2026

Launched a SoCal triangle online campaign in partnership with Greater Palm Springs and San Diego with America Unlimited . This SoCal campaign was part of a holistic California campaign that also included our NoCal partners as well as Los Angeles and San Francisco.

• Impressions (social media): 28,522

• Clicks Google ads campaign: 5,261

• Newsletter

• 175,000 sent

• Open rate: 31.5%

• CTR: 17.6%

• Timing: February - April 2026

CAMPAIGNS

• Ran a newsletter campaign in cooperation with GR Palm Springs with CRD Select, CRD’s luxury brand.

• Newsletter in cooperation with Germany’s main weekend newspaper “Zeit”:

• 90,000 sent

• Open rate 31.22%

• CRD Select newsletter

• 7,837 sent

• Open rate 31.28%

• Timing: January 2026

• Launched a multilayered Opodo online campaign in cooperation with Visit California. Including a dedicated Santa Monica advertising campaign and newsletter.

• Dedicated Santa Monica banner advertising campaign

• Impressions: 637,920

• Clicks: 327

• CTR: 0.26%

• Dedicated Santa Monica newsletter

• Impressions: 637,920

• 12,500 sent

• Open rate: 81% (top performer within the campaign)

• Timing: February - April

• Ran a cooperation with Fairflight, including presence at the consumer shows in Dresden and Munich, participation in a newsletter.

• Timing: February - April

• Launched a campaign with Faszination Fernweh, including social media marketing, newsletter and landing page on newly designed website.

• Social Media

Stories/Paid ads: 140,721 views

Posts: 1600 reached persons, 69 Interactions

VISITOR INFORMATION

• 1,770,112 Germans visited the US in 2025, showing a decrease of 11% compared to 2024. The US remains the most popular long-haul destination for Germans.

• 365,000 Germans visited California in 2025, representing a 17% decline from 2024. (Tourism Economics’ forecast)

• German visitor spending in California had a volume of 886,000 USD in 2025 and decreased by 10% compared to 2024.

GERMANY

BOOKING

• The majority of German visitors to the United States continue to book their travel through tour operators and travel agencies.

• While online booking is growing in popularity, it is not yet the dominant channel for long-haul travel.

• In 2025, Germans took approximately 68 million trips of five days or more, with international destinations accounting for 78% of total travel, of which 9% represented long-haul travel.

• Trips to California are typically extended stays, often lasting two to three weeks or longer.

BOOKING NUMBERS OF GERMANS TRAVELING TO THE US WERE DOWN IN 2025.

• Most of our key tour operators report a decrease of between 3-15% for California in general, and Santa Monica in particular.

• America Unlimited ran a major campaign with Visit California in 2025 is the only one showing still decent positive numbers for 2025.

• DER on the other side reports a decrease of 25% for booking to California in 2025.

FORECASTS FOR 2026

• A US travel market study indicates that demand is currently under pressure due to geopolitical factors, media sentiment, and cost-related concerns, with 2026 bookings potentially down 10–30% compared to 2025. Forecasts vary, with some projecting declines of 10–15% and others estimating up to 25% or more; however, a significant portion of this demand may be delayed rather than lost. Recovery is expected to depend on improved destination perception, more balanced media narratives, transparent communication, favorable pricing, and flexible booking options and guarantees. Marketing efforts are increasingly focused on storytelling, new experiences, and strengthened agency partnerships, with sustained industry support viewed as essential. Overall, rebuilding traveler confidence and ensuring clear, consistent communication will be critical to a potential rebound.

• Repeat visitors continue to perform strongly. They remain confident in the U.S. as a destination, recognizing that the travel experience is still smooth, entry procedures have become more efficient, and currency exchange rates are currently favorable.

• In contrast, first-time visitors appear more hesitant to consider the U.S. due to current media coverage and broader sentiment shifts.

• Fortunately, many U.S. specialists such as CANUSA, CRD, and America Unlimited benefit from a high share of repeat clientele, which provides some resilience. However, the classic California road trip—and the West Coast in general—typically relies heavily on first-time visitors. Given the current decline in arrivals, the shortfall in new-to-destination travelers is becoming increasingly evident, and this trend may continue into 2026.

OUTLOOK AND TRENDS

• US travel demand remains highly volatile and difficult to forecast due to the current geopolitical environment.

• The Middle East conflict has huge effects on tourism from Germany and Europe to Asia and Australia – it is the largest disruptor since Covid. The Middle East, as well as Southeast Asia, are very popular destinations. Dubai, in particular, is not only a major destination itself but also an important hub for onward travel to Southeast Asia and Australia. This situation will likely lead to increased demand for European destinations. South Africa is also seeing very strong demand. That said, we are already hearing initial voices suggesting that these developments could make the US a more attractive destination again.

• AI is transforming travel booking with smarter personalization, automated trip planning, and real-time price comparisons. Adoption is growing fast, though not yet mainstream. Around 15–33% of travelers already use AI tools. Especially younger audiences, with up to 35% of 18–to 29-year-olds embracing them. Most turn to AI for inspiration and better price comparisons.

• Germans continue to show a demand for experience-driven travel. They want stories, not checklists - journeys that combine city life with nature, culinary discovery with outdoor activity, and authentic of the beaten path regional experiences with iconic landmarks.

• Traction in road trip itineraries and regional multi-stop travel. Germans appreciate flexibility and control over their pace. California’s geography makes it ideal for self-drive adventures that thread together beaches, vineyards, deserts and forests.

TRADE & MEDIA ENGAGEMENTS

• In-Market Sales Calls: 159

• Trade events/workshops: 2

• FAMs: 2

• October (Visit California/ Race Across California),

• Santa Monica song contest was included in VUSA Newsletter B2B going out to 23,000 travel agents as well as key trade media. (December)

• FAM participants: 4

• February So Cal Tour operator fam)

• FAM participants: 4

• Agents/Operators trained: 187

• Webinars: 1

• Newsletters: 5

• Media hosted: 3

• Media calls: 137

• Press releases: 4

FRANCE

IN-MARKET ACTIVITIES

• Hosted one client event ahead of IFTM Top Resa, welcoming 38 trade professionals and 10 media representatives.

• Conducted 26 trade meetings during IFTM Top Resa.

• Participated in a workshop with Visiteurs Tour Operator in Lille during a cocktail presentation, engaging 54 agents, as well as a workshop in Le Havre with 30 agents.

• Attended a luxury workshop with Renaissance in Paris, meeting 10 buyers from the luxury leisure and MICE segments.

• Participated in a workshop with IMPACT in Toulouse, engaging 15 agents.

• Participated in a Visit California workshop in Lyon with 30 agents.

• Joined Visit USA roadshow workshops in Paris, Montpellier, and Lyon, meeting with 51 agents in total.

• Hosted four Comptoir des Voyages travel advisors at Hotel Carmel for a one-day and one-night immersion showcasing Santa Monica hotels and experiences.

• Organized an Air Tahiti Nui FAM trip for five travel agencies and tour operator product managers, highlighting Santa Monica and Greater Palm Springs.

• Attended ILTM Cannes and organized three luxury lunches with 11 key French travel industry stakeholders.

• Organized a Sales and Media Mission in early March with SMTT and partners Huntley Santa Monica Beach and On Location Experiences. The program included trade and media meetings, engagement with the French Olympic Committee, and a luxury event at the Cercle de l’Union Interalliée, hosting 25 trade and 10 media guests.

• Attended the DITEX travel show in Aix-en-Provence over three days, hosting two lunches with seven tour operators and travel agencies each, delivering training for 25 attendees, and conducting more than 55 one-to-one meetings with decision-makers, independent agencies, luxury travel advisors, and tour operators.

• Attended IMM Media Show in Paris, conducting 20 individual meetings alongside extensive networking during lunch and cocktail sessions.

CAMPAIGNS

• FIFA World Cup with Angele; January – March 2026

Overview

• This activation built on the strong results of the April 2025 FIFA Club World Cup campaign, positioning Santa Monica as a premium sports-travel and lifestyle destination for high-value French travelers. The program combined an exclusive VVIP experience with a targeted digital and social push to drive early 2026 bookings during the peak long-haul sales window.

Key activations:

• VVIP Event – January 04, 2026 | Paris (Qatar Airways Private Suite, Parc des Princes)

• Exclusive evening for 20 VVIP guests, featuring a destination presentation, FIFA Quarter Final (Los Angeles) highlight, and the launch of 3 Santa Monica packages (1 FIFA + 2 leisure

• Digital Activation – March 2026

• Dedicated newsletter and digital brochure distributed to 2,300 segmented high-value travelers (sports, premium city-break, and family road-trip segments, luxury, family, and premium travel clients, including a new “Sports Premium” segment). Key highlights include beach & outdoor activities (Including cycling, surfing, yoga, and sunsets), upscale & sustainable hotels, and key events including the FIFA World Cup Quarter Final and Route 66 Centennial.

Key results:

• Delivery rate: 2,277 emails delivered

• Open rate: 81% (excellent performance)

• Click-through rate: 28% (very strong engagement)

Engagement highlights:

• 303 clicks on the introduction (digital collection)

• 126 clicks on FIFA World Cup content

• 92 clicks on lifestyle (“art de vivre”) content Business impact:

• Six quotation requests generated, including:

• Three FIFA World Cup packages

• One California family itinerary (including Santa Monica and other key destinations)

• Two road trips starting with stays in Santa Monica

• Social Amplification – January & March 2026 Instagram and LinkedIn event recap, followed by a seasonal push via @norasplanet and Santa Monica Travel & Tourism assets.

FRANCE

VISITOR INFORMATION

• French visitation to California reached approximately 465,000 in 2025, down from around 520,000 in 2024, reflecting a decline of about –10.5%, broadly in line with the overall U.S. trend (Visit California; U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office)

• Los Angeles-Long Beach remains the most visited California destination (70%) for French travelers.

• Luxury hotels remain the preferred accommodation (54%) (Visit California and third-party data sets. Oct. 29, 2025)

• French visitor arrivals to the United States totaled 1,533,089 in 2025, down from 1,739,957 in 2024, representing an –11.9% decline year over year (International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce — I-94 Arrivals Historical Data)

• The typical French traveler to California is likely aged 25-44, a high-income Millennial or Gen X and often from Paris. Many travel with children, making family-friendly offerings attractive.

• French travelers to California favor independent planning, using online searches, peer recommendations and travel websites as primary sources. Digital strategies should focus on SEO, content marketing and influencer collaborations. 76% of French visitors are repeat visitors to the United States.

• French visitors prioritize LAX as the main point of access in California, combining several cities in the States, Los Angeles County remains the most popular area to stay.

• 42% of French travelers considering California prefer luxury hotels, making them a significant market segment. Other popular accommodation choices include non-luxury hotels and vacation rentals, indicating flexibility in high-end lodging options.

• Together, retail travel agencies and tour operators serve 35% of travelers but are less dominant than online options. Nearly half of travelers use hotel websites and OTAs as primary booking channels, reflecting a preference for digital reservations. Booking.com being the most popular OTA used by the French Visitors.

• Luxury travelers favor direct hotel bookings, emphasizing the need for premium direct services but they are also keen to trust their concierge services.

• French travelers plan their trips to California well in advance, with a majority booking three to six months before departure. Early marketing strategies and long-lead promotions are essential to capture this audience. Nevertheless, given the uncertainties due to the war in the Middle East, the French will also book last minute.

BOOKING

• High-income Millennials and Gen X travelers, as well as affluent families, represent the core visitor segments.

• Trip planning is largely independent, driven by online searches, peer recommendations, and travel websites.

• 76% of French visitors to the United States are repeat travelers.

• Air access is strong, with direct routes from Paris to LAX operated by Air France, Delta, Norse Atlantic, French Bee, and Air Tahiti Nui, alongside indirect connections from other French cities via carriers such as Air Canada, United Airlines, Lufthansa, British Airways, and Iberia. These indirect options are particularly relevant for travelers departing from regional airports.

• July and August remain the peak travel months between France and the United States, along with strong demand during spring and autumn holiday periods.

• Booking behavior is increasingly polarized between early planners, typically associated with luxury travel and short-lead, opportunistic travelers.

OUTLOOK AND TRENDS

• Shift in traveler mindset

• 2023: “Revenge travel” surge

• 2024: “Wait-and-see” behavior

• 2025: Confirmed decline (–10%) in French arrivals to California

• 2026: Early indicators suggest stabilization, not full rebound yet

• Key behavioral evolution French travelers to California are now:

• More budget-conscious

• Experience-driven (nature, culture, shopping)

• Luxury remains very important BUT value-formoney is now critical

• French travel to California is shifting from highgrowth post-COVID demand to a more selective, value-driven and cautious market, where:

• Digital influence remains dominant

• Air capacity is strong but price-sensitive

• External shocks slow recovery rather than reverse demand

TRADE & MEDIA ENGAGEMENTS

• In-Market Sales Calls: 77

• Trade Event/Workshops: 10

• FAMs: 2

• Comptoir des Voyages

• FAM participants: 4

• Air Tahiti Nui and Visit Greater Palm Springs

• FAM Participants: 5

• Agents/Operators Trained: 231

• Webinars: 1

• Newsletter 5

CANADA

IN-MARKET ACTIVITIES

• Exhibited at the Travel Edge Limitless Virtual Luxury Conferences (Summer and Spring editions). These events were highly successful, generating 35 one-on-one appointments and more than 200 virtual visits from Canadian advisors.

• Exhibited at the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA) Conference in Toronto, attended by 450 advisors.

• Exhibited at Virtuoso Connects in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and Toronto, engaging a combined total of 90 luxury travel advisors through networking sessions.

• Exhibited at the Travel Leaders Network (TLN) regional conference in Toronto, with 228 travel agents in attendance.

• Delivered training to 150 travel agents from Boutique Travel during their holiday event.

• Attended 15 travel trade shows across Canada, engaging with 2,012 travel agents.

• Participated in two Travel Leaders Network (TLN) Mixer events in 2026, engaging with 145 travel agents.

• Attended Travel Market Place (TMP) Montreal and Toronto in June, with a combined attendance of approximately 750 travel agents.

• Sponsored and participated in the Virtuoso Forum in Calgary which included a speaking engagement at the breakfast on the first day in front of 50 travel agency owners and managers.

VISITOR INFORMATION

• The Conference Board of Canada reported that a shift in destination choice was becoming apparent for Canadian travelers.

• Top trip activities for Canadians still include dining and gastronomy, cultural and historical attractions, beaches, shopping and urban attractions. Canada still has high-spending visitors seeking experiential value, luxury and safety.

• Six in ten travelers from Canada reside in Ontario and Québec, with the majority booking their vacations using travel agents and online travel agencies.

• Outbound travelers reported that the top drivers shaping Canadian outbound travel decisions in 2026 (based on the latest trend reports) were value, pent up demand, political and cultural sentiment towards the U.S., and their destination choice was influenced by favorable weather, the availability of special deals, price incentives and the type of vacation experience offered.

• Canadian tourism is resilient and based on past history, overnight trips to the United States are deemed to return to previous levels once political sentiment eases.

• There is a negative perception of the United States as an uninviting destination. Canadians are not feeling as safe or welcome as they did prior to the new United States leadership.

CAMPAIGNS

• Newsletter Distribution for the months of July 2025, September 2025 and April 2026

• 3 dedicated newsletters data:

• Total Sent: 52,491

• Average Open Rate: 12%

• Average CTR: 6.2%

CANADA

OUTLOOK AND TRENDS

• Conference Board of Canada - Outbound Canada Winter Travel Intentions 2025-2026 - United States - Just one-fifth of outbound leisure travelers who have selected a destination intend to visit the U.S. on their longest trip this winter; a significantly smaller share than reported in the past. The top three markets planning a cross-border trip this winter are residents of Ontario (42%), Quebec (19%), and Alberta (15%). For the first time, Alberta has replaced BC in the top three source markets. Sixty-one percent plan to fly to their destination this winter, while thirty six percent intend to drive, a smaller share than last winter (40%).

• January 2026 saw nearly 2.7 million Canadians return home from an overnight outbound trip - a 3.5 percent decline compared to 2025. The volume of transborder trips fell 16.9 percent compared to the previous year, while activity to non-U.S. (overseas) destinations grew 10.6 percent. The first half of the 2025-26 winter travel season (Nov-Jan) saw almost 3.6 million Canadians return home from an overnight trip to the U.S., a 17.9 percent drop compared to last winter.

• Canada consistently ranks among top international source markets for travel to the U.S. destinations seen as progressive, safe and welcoming will attract more Canadian travelers (especially with California Governor Newsom’s “California loves Canada” tourism campaign initiative). With the current geopolitical situation at play, the underlying reasons to invest in the Canadian market largely remain intact with a slight adjustment to tone and messaging.

• The first two months of the 2025-2026 winter travel season (Nov-Dec) saw 2.4 million Canadians return home from an overnight transborder trip, an 18.3 percent drop compared to 2024-2025. The period saw auto trips fall 27.2%, while non-auto travel fell 11.4%.

• Seven in ten Canadians say they are confident they will take a vacation this year, a significant nine-point increase from last year. This confidence is strongest among families with children (77 percent) and high-income earners ($100K+, 85 percent), as well as younger generations, with 71 percent of Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X planning trips compared to 63 percent of Boomers. At the same time, 70 percent of Canadians believe annual vacations are important for their wellbeing, with even higher importance among parents and younger demographics.

Search data shows that at a macro level, Canada to the U.S. travel is down by approximately 14%, but that creates some very specific positive indicators and opportunities for a destination like Santa Monica and LAX in 2026.

Despite a weak 2025, forward-looking indicators are improving and airlines such as Air Canada and Porter Airlines are starting to increase service from Canada to a few U.S. destinations. Overall, air access from Canada is still strong and seat capacity from Canada to the U.S. is only down –10% in 2026. Routes from Canada to LAX are still very viable and airlines are maintaining core connectivity.

Across flights, hotels and car rentals, Canadian travel to the US continues to be driven by demand for iconic and popular destinations, making it essential to remain top of mind and competitive within the market.

Top booked US destination from East – LAX 5.5% (FL, Las Vegas, NYC)

Top booked US destination from West – LAX 14% (Las Vegas)

Major global events (World Cup 2026, Olympics, Route 66 Centennial etc.) are expected to restimulate international demand, including in Canada.

Staying visible today positions Santa Monica and California for tomorrow’s recovery. Santa Monica still benefits from strong brand equity (beach, lifestyle, luxury, wellness and shopping).

BOOKING

• Expedia Canada reported that search demand among Canadians for U.S. destinations is rising (officially surpassing 2025 levels).

• U.S. destinations that win are event-driven (sports, concerts, festivals) and experience rich (culture, lifestyle).

TRADE & MEDIA ENGAGEMENTS

• In-Market Sales Calls: 165

• Trade Events/Workshops: 15

• Media FAMs: 2

• Agents/Operators Trained: 1,684

• Visit California CEO Mission: 1

• SMTT & partner events: 1

• Webinars: 12

• Newsletters: 3

&AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND

IN-MARKET ACTIVITIES

• Trained 240 agents at Club California events in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne in partnership with Visit California.

• Hosted a Luxury Flight Centre FAM with four travel advisors from the UK, Australia, and Mexico, following Flight Centre’s Global Event in Downtown Los Angeles, featuring destination experiences across Santa Monica.

• Participated in Virtuoso On Tour Destination Event, showcasing Santa Monica to 205 luxury travel advisors through 72 one-on-one appointments in Melbourne.

• Delivered a California Masterclass training for 15 travel advisors, including eight luxury specialists, highlighting Santa Monica updates and key value-add messaging.

• Developed and distributed a trade release for the Envoyage FAM highlighting executive visits to Santa Monica, incorporating imagery and quotes, resulting in 10 media placements.

• Attended Luxperience Sydney, completing 50 pre-scheduled, high-value one-on-one appointments with top-tier luxury advisors and suppliers. The event served as a key platform to strengthen trade relationships and reinforce Santa Monica’s positioning as a premier coastal gateway to Los Angeles, showcasing its blend of wellness, lifestyle, and luxury experiences.

• Hosted a live destination training webinar with House of Travel New Zealand, engaging 57 travel agents across the network.

• Recorded a webinar as part of the Visit California x Destination Webinars mini-series in collaboration with Universal Studios Hollywood. The session, themed “Coast & Culture Meets California Entertainment,” generated strong engagement with 175 views, 345 impressions, and 31 hours and 9 minutes of watch time, reinforcing interest in California’s coastal and entertainment offerings.

• Arranged the TravelManagers FAM ahead of the Signature Travel Network conference, for three participants.

• Launched a joint travel advisor FAM incentive with Air New Zealand and United Airlines to stimulate sales to Los Angeles. As part of the program, a mandatory pre-FAM destination webinar was co-hosted with both airlines ahead of winner selection, attracting 72 New Zealand advisors and demonstrating strong trade engagement and demand for Los Angeles and Santa Monica product.

• Hosted seven top-performing Australian and New Zealand advisors alongside Air New Zealand and United Airlines representatives in Santa Monica. The program showcased the destination’s hotel portfolio and overall positioning as a gateway city within Los Angeles itineraries. A post-FAM co-branded press release was issued in collaboration with U.S. partners and distributed to New Zealand trade media, including a quote from Misti Kerns, President & CEO of Santa Monica Travel & Tourism.

IN-MARKET ACTIVITIES

• Participated in Destination Webinars and Brand USA’s Route 66 webinar series, featuring SMTT in the final session. Delivered a destination update to 141 advisors, highlighting Santa Monica as the official end of Route 66, showcasing key partner properties, and supporting engagement through a themed prize incentive.

• Attended Virtuoso On Tour Destination Days across Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, showcasing Santa Monica and key Virtuoso partner properties to more than 220 luxury travel advisors.

CAMPAIGNS

• Secured the first Santa Monica deal on Luxury Escapes in over two years, featuring Sandbourne Santa Monica, Autograph Collection. The deal launched in November 2025 and was promoted in Luxury Escapes’ national EDM, providing strong visibility and demonstrating growing trade demand for Santa Monica.

• Delivered three market-tailored newsletters to a database of over 2,000 subscribers (travel agents, industry partners, airline representatives and more). Each designed to inspire recipients to visit or book their clients to Santa Monica, seeing results including an average open rate of 30.20% and an average click rate of 3.15%.

AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND &

VISITOR INFORMATION

• Australia remains a key inbound market to the United States, ranking as the #11 source market, with stable demand despite a slight year-on-year softening in arrivals.

• The United States continues to be a highly aspirational destination for Australian travelers, consistently ranking among the top long-haul destinations across both premium and value segments.

• California remains the most in-demand U.S. state, supported by its diverse offering and strong appeal across leisure, lifestyle, and multi-city itineraries.

• Travel behavior continues to favor multi-destination trips, with Los Angeles serving as a primary gateway and Santa Monica positioned as an integral part of broader Los Angeles itineraries.

• Air capacity has increased significantly over the past 12 months, with expanded routes and frequency across United, Delta, American Airlines, and Qantas. This improved connectivity is making travel to the United States more accessible than ever and represents a strong indicator for continued growth from the Australia and New Zealand market.

BOOKING

• Major wholesalers are reporting strong booking growth to the United States, with increases of approximately 30% year-on-year, driven by air sales and improved connectivity.

• Within California, Santa Monica continues to perform strongly, ranking #11 for room nights and recording a 40% year-on-year increase with Flight Centre Travel Group.

• Helloworld Travel has reported a 44% year-on-year increase in Santa Monica room nights, reflecting growing demand when the destination is actively positioned and clearly promoted.

• Booking windows remain short at approximately 8–10 weeks, with tactical airfare promotions and value-led offers continuing to drive conversion.

OUTLOOK AND TRENDS

• Demand for travel to the United States remains strong, supported by improved consumer confidence, easing inflation, and favorable exchange rates at a 12-month high (AUD ~0.70, NZD ~0.60 to USD).

• Premium, luxury, and experience-led travel continue to drive growth, with resilience at higher price points despite ongoing price sensitivity in lower-tier segments.

• Value-driven travel is also increasing, with a noticeable shift toward packaged offers that combine accommodation and experiences, particularly through partners such as Luxury Escapes.

• Major events and sports tourism including the FIFA World Cup, Olympic Games, and NFL programming remain key drivers of travel intent and forward planning.

• Road trips, independent travel, and curated itineraries continue to grow in popularity, alongside increasing demand for purpose-driven and special-interest travel.

• California remains the most in-demand US state for AU/NZ travellers, driven by its strong brand awareness, diverse experiences and ease of selling within multi-destination itineraries.

• Airlift capacity into the US is at a 12-month high, further supporting accessibility and conversion from the market.

TRADE & MEDIA ENGAGEMENTS

• In-Market Sales Calls: 16

• Trade Events/Workshops: 7

• FAMs: 3

• Flight Centre

• FAM Participants: 4

• Travel Managers

• FAM Participants: 3

• Air New Zealand/United

• FAM Participants: 10

• Agents/Operators Trained: 1,261

• Webinars: 4

• Newsletters: 3

INDIA

TRAVEL TRADE

• Attended the Visit California India Trade & Media Mission in Mumbai & New Delhi, India to engage and educate 214 travel advisors, tour operators and members of the media on Santa Monica updates and upcoming opportunities.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

• Visit California has identified India as the top emerging market for inbound travel to our state with a rising middle class, increasing disposable incomes and a strong appetite for experiential travel. Indian tourists present a high-potential audience for Santa Monica’s unique offerings – beaches, luxury shopping, wellness experiences and sustainability- focused tourism.

• SMTT has maintained strong momentum in the India market through a targeted media relations and FAM strategy. A total of 45 media placements were secured, supported by both proactive pitching and hosted media experiences. SMTT hosted two FAM programs, resulting in coverage across two key outlets and helping to deepen firsthand destination storytelling. Media coverage in India delivered significant reach, including placements in top-tier national and lifestyle publications with audiences in the tens to hundreds of millions. Coverage focused on positioning Santa Monica as a vibrant coastal destination, highlighting its culinary scene, hotels, and lifestyle offerings. This sustained visibility reinforces Santa Monica’s appeal among Indian travelers and supports continued growth in awareness and consideration within this high-potential market. Sartha Global for part-time public relations representation to grow awareness in this important market.

OUTLOOK AND TRENDS

• Families are a major travel segment, along with couples and honeymoon travelers

• Indians now seek activities and experiences that are unique, and this applies especially to luxury travelers

• The trade needs to be equipped with resources, including bookable itineraries and assets such as social content videos/images

• Customization will continue to shape booking behavior, as travelers increasingly seek flexible and personalized itineraries

• Travelers increasingly prioritizing experiences, wellness, coastal destinations, and lifestyleoriented stays

EMERGING MARKETS

As the travel landscape continues to evolve, Santa Monica Travel & Tourism (SMTT) actively explores opportunities in emerging markets, including Asia Pacific, Brazil, India, Mexico, the Middle East (GCC), and others. SMTT’s initiatives in these regions play an important role in supporting the recovery and long-term growth of international travel.

• SMTT exhibited at ILTM Asia Pacific in partnership with Shutters on the Beach and On Location Experiences, delivering three full days of activity and 104 pre-scheduled appointments with leading luxury travel advisors from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, India, and China.

• At ILTM Cannes, where luxury travel decisions are actively shaped, the focus was on qualified pipeline development rather than visibility. Over three days, SMTT and partners including Shutters on the Beach, Hotel Casa del Mar, and On Location conducted more than 65 one-onone appointments. Three hosted client lunches further strengthened priority relationships, resulting in measurable progress with high-value advisors and clearly defined 30/60/90-day follow-up actions to support conversion.

• SMTT participated in Visit California’s Club California Tokyo, an in-person training and networking event held November 14th at Arferique Shirogane in Tokyo that drew 115 attendees (89 travel trade, 26 media) from 130 registrations (87% CVR), representing a record lineup of 19 California destination and product organizations.

• SMTT was featured in Visit California Japan’s Club California Online Webinar Series, with the January 2026 session drawing 108 live attendees from 149 registrations (72% CVR) from key Japanese agencies and tour operators. The archived webinar was incorporated into VCAJapan’s e-newsletter and ongoing trade training materials distributed throughout the year.

• SMTT sponsored the General Session and Awards Ceremony at the Virtuoso Forum Continental Europe, engaging Virtuoso agency owners and managers through destination messaging and Preferred Partner networking to stimulate advisor demand. Partners including Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, Regent Santa Monica Beach, Shutters on the Beach, and Santa Monica Proper contributed raffle stay prizes to further drive engagement and future bookings.

FAMILIARIZATION TOURS (FAMS)

• Hosted a FAM in partnership with Visit California and AeroMexico to celebrate the airline’s 100th aircraft. The group of travel trade and media professionals stayed at Regent Santa Monica Beach, attended various activities in the region and had their farewell dinner at The Lobster.

• Hosted a Visit California “Race Across California” FAM from Italy welcoming a total of five top travel advisors and media for multiple days of immersive site inspections, diverse culinary experiences, and signature Santa Monica moments.

• Hosted a FAM dinner in partnership with Visit California for eight Korean tour operators visiting Santa Monica for an afternoon at Pacific Park and The Lobster.

TRAVEL TRADE

OVERVIEW

During the fiscal year, SMTT’s Global Business Development team maintained a strategic focus on the travel trade sector, with a strong emphasis on the domestic and luxury travel markets, including tour operators, wholesalers, and high-value travel advisors. Through partnerships with leading consortia such as Internova, Virtuoso, - and Signature Travel Network, SMTT strengthened destination visibility and deepened relationships across key travel distribution channels. In addition to annual conference participation, these partnerships created valuable opportunities through e-blasts, webinars, FAMs, networking events, trade shows, and other client-facing initiatives that supported business development efforts and reinforced Santa Monica’s position within the premium travel landscape.

DOMESTIC IN-MARKET ACTIVITIES

• Exhibited at ILTM North America in the Bahamas, conducting 108 appointments with leading luxury travel advisors from across North America in partnership with Shutters on the Beach and Huntley Santa Monica Beach.

• Attended the Signature Circle Live Event, completing seven 10-minute appointments with more than 50 solo, small group, and women-only travel advisors, highlighting Santa Monica’s safety, sustainability, and experiential offerings.

• Attended Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas, engaging in four days of one-on-one appointments with more than 75 travel advisors from Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Brazil. SMTT also hosted a poolside client reception and lunch in partnership with Shutters on the Beach, Hotel Casa del Mar, and Midway Car Rental, sponsored a VIP yoga session, and attended Australia/New Zealand and Canada networking receptions.

• Attended the PROST Los Angeles Annual Holiday Luncheon, hosting approximately 500 travel industry professionals at Regent Santa Monica Beach in partnership with Shutters on the Beach and Hotel Casa del Mar to support leisure demand generation.

• New York City remains one of Santa Monica’s most important domestic feeder markets. A dedicated January mission was designed to strengthen relationships with priority travel advisors and convert active client interest into confirmed bookings. In partnership with Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, Huntley Santa Monica Beach, and Regent Santa Monica Beach, SMTT engaged top-producing advisors to align on hotel fit, booking windows, and value proposition.

• SmartFlyer CORE is one of the most influential luxury advisor gatherings, bringing together approximately 100 top-producing advisors and 100 luxury suppliers for several days of relationship-building and destination programming. In Santa Monica, CORE was anchored by a Regent Santa Monica Beach buyout, with additional room blocks at Shutters on the Beach and Hotel Casa del Mar. SMTT activated experiential programming including two hosted bike tours (20 guests total) and a Santa Monica Pier experience (7 guests), delivering a high-impact “in-motion” destination showcase.

• Attended Brand USA Industry Input Session alongside nearly 70 DMOs, contributing market insights, sharing industry feedback, and strengthening relationships with Brand USA to support SMTT’s international strategy and future visitation growth.

• Partnered with Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, On Location Experiences, and Santa Monica Proper Hotel at the Visit California Luxury Forum in Lake Tahoe, participating in three days of one-on-one appointments and networking sessions with top luxury advisors and tour operators from around the world.

• Hosted a Signature Travel Week pre-FAM for five travel advisors, showcasing Santa Monica through curated luxury experiences and destination immersion.

• Exhibited and participated in Internova EDGE, a domestic travel advisor conference focused on connecting supplier partners with advisors through appointments, education, and networking. This engagement strengthened SMTT’s presence among key sellers and reinforced Santa Monica’s positioning within the leisure travel market.

• Exhibited at Global Travel Collection’s ARRIVE Conference, a premier luxury travel advisor event designed to connect top-performing advisors with preferred supplier partners through curated appointments and strategic programming. This participation elevated SMTT’s visibility within the luxury segment and supported future leisure business development through targeted trade engagement.

IPW

IPW

• U.S. Travel Association’s IPW provides a valuable in-person platform to conduct business and strengthen relationships around the world. As the leading inbound travel trade show, past IPWs have generated more than $26 billion in projected future travel by connecting U.S. travel exhibitors with travel buyers and media to promote their product and negotiate future business, securing America’s position as a foremost global travel destination and showcasing the best of what the United States has to offer.

• Participated in IPW 2026 in Fort Lauderdale, joined by partners Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, Huntley Santa Monica Beach, Shore Hotel and The Eden. SMTT engaged in over 85 appointments to strengthen and build relationships with top international tour operators, receptive operators and wholesalers as we launch the Route 66 centennial initiatives and celebrations and what’s new in Santa Monica. In addition to official trade show appointments, SMTT hosted a VIP client event for over 90 top buyers and partners.

CAMPAIGNS

• Partnered with Visit California and Hotelbeds, the world’s largest Online Travel Agency (OTA) and wholesaler, to launch a 6-month B2B campaign beginning in September 2025to spur room night production from key source markets: United States, Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, Australia, China, India, Japan, and Germany. The Hotelbeds campaign delivered strong visibility across the whole period, generating more than 36M pageviews through display advertising. CTR remained stable at approximately 1.10–1.20%, while average time on page showed solid engagement levels, with users consistently interacting with the content for several minutes across all placements. Email communications also performed reliably throughout the campaign, Open rates remained consistently strong: performance ranged from 25% to nearly 45%, demonstrating notable interest in the messaging and reinforcing email as a highly responsive channel. Overall, the campaign delivered substantial visibility and sustained engagement across paid media and email touchpoints. The combination of high pageview volumes, stable CTR performance, and strong open rates highlights the effectiveness of the multi-channel approach in maintaining presence and driving meaningful interaction.

• Deployed two destination-of-the-month campaigns with premium wholesaler Bonotel Exclusive Travel in February 2026 through April 2026 to reach 4,600 Bonotel clients worldwide and 65,000 travel agents via the Internova network. Tactics included a dedicated landing page, pre-/post- login ads, agent booking portal takeover, email banner ad, a brochure ad, and custom newsflashes. As of May 2026, the campaign resulted in 1,075 2,055 room nights booked with an ADR of $527, resulting in over $400K increase in revenue year over year (YOW). Santa Monica was ranked as a Top 5 Booked Destination during the campaign run dates and showed the most month-over-month percentage growth, in comparison to other top destinations.

MICE SALES

OVERVIEW

Santa Monica Travel & Tourism’s Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) team

continues to work with our hotel collection to enhance Santa Monica’s positioning as a leading destination for meetings and events. In addition to focusing on corporate, association, SMERF and entertainment group business, the region will be welcoming various local and regional events as well as a new music festival that will draw new demand for events. By cultivating strong partnerships with industry organizations, associations and actively participating in key events, SMTT continues to effectively showcase our vibrant beach city to meeting, event and incentive professionals both domestically and internationally.

TRADE SHOWS

Showcasing the destination at meeting, incentive, conference/congress and exhibition/events (MICE) events and trade shows continues to be a key component of SMTT’s strategy. In FY 25/26 the Group Sales Team attended 12 trade shows, domestically and internationally, to engage with meeting professionals and place a spotlight on the exciting hotels, events space and destination updates in Santa Monica. Notable trade shows included IMEX America and IMEX Frankfurt, Retreat Resources, Incentives, Business Travel and Meetings (IBTM) Americas, HelmsBriscoe Annual Business Conference (ABC), American Express Interaction and more.

IMEX AMERICA

In October 2025, SMTT returned to IMEX America with a record-breaking ten exhibiting partners including Sandbourne Santa Monica, Hyatt Centric Delfina, Shutters on the Beach, Santa Monica Proper, Huntley Santa Monica Beach, Viceroy Santa Monica, Hotel Casa del Mar, Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, Pacific Park and Regent Santa Monica Beach. The newly designed SMTT booth

secured over 100 one-on-one appointments among the delegation. SMTT also partnered with Visit California for additional client-facing opportunities and hosted a client reception and engaged with approximately 30 event and meeting professionals after day two of the tradeshow.

IMEX FRANKFURT

Visit California attended IMEX Frankfurt in partnership with Brand USA and showcased Santa Monica for the first time since the pandemic. The tradeshow, similar to the Americas show, brings together a global network of meeting professionals and allowed for some new business opportunities with buyers who had never attended the Americas show. In addition to the tradeshow, Visit California hosted a focus group for meeting planners which added additional networking engagement with the clients. In total, SMTT was able to make 30 new connections with international meeting professionals.

INDUSTRY RELATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS

SMTT’s Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions Sales Team partnered with industry associations and MICE-focused networking events for additional exposure to our hotels and the destination. Events included Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) SoCal, SITE Southeast, SITE Northeast, MPI Southern California Chapter, FAMs with ALHI and Preferred Hotels and more. Additionally, SMTT continued their long-standing partnership with SITE SoCal’s Annual Holiday Gala and hosted buyers to join SMTT in La Quinta for an incentive experience and charity gala. Hotels in attendance were Regent Santa Monica Beach, Santa Monica Proper, Shutters on the Beach, Hotel Casa del Mar and Huntley Santa Monica Beach. SMTT also partnered with hotels on FAMs for additional exposure of the destination and how SMTT can support corporate groups and incentives.

SMTT continued its partnerships with HPN, Retreat Resources and Tour Connection. These strategic partnerships allow for additional exposure for SMTT and our hotels and engagement at in-person roadshows and events. Retreat Resources is SMTT’s preferred partner for clientfacing roadshows throughout the U.S. HPN and Tour Connection are annual partnerships that include webinars, e-blasts and more in addition to in-person events.

VISIT CALIFORNIA PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS & EVENTS (PME)

In partnership with Visit California’s PME team, SMTT attended the Fall roadshows in Chicago and Kansas City to engage with meeting and event professionals from both regions. In Spring of 2026, SMTT also attended the Spring roadshow in Philadelphia. Additionally, Visit California also partnered with SMTT by cosponsoring editorial and print opportunities with SmartMeetings and a social media takeover with Northstar Meetings & Events.

HELMSBRISCOE

CONFERENCEDIRECT, HPN AND AMERICAN EXPRESS GBT

SMTT is excited to continue our annual partnerships with ConferenceDirect (CD), Hospitality Performance Network (HPN) and AMEX GBT. CD is a leading provider of global, digital and in-person meeting solutions. As a Strategic Partner, SMTT participated in their tradeshow efforts to engage and meet with corporate meetings and events associates. HPN is a strong lead driver for the destination and we hope the partnership actualizes to group bookings. Additionally, our partnership with Visit California has allowed us to join the AMEXGBT network and attend their trade shows.

HelmsBriscoe continues to be SMTT’s strongest intermediary partner and has continued to produce millions of dollars in room and F&B revenue annually. HelmsBriscoe has the largest database, both domestically and internationally, with over 1,500 associates in 64 countries. Additionally, HB reported a 40% increase in revenue in 2025 compared to the previous year.

In addition to the annual partnership, SMTT also hosted a FAM for seven associates who manage the Nike account. Nike is HB’s longest enterprise account and contributes to over 70% of the room revenue from HB. The clients visited Santa Monica from Scottsdale, Tucson, Denver and Boston and experienced ten hotels and various experiences and activities.

BOOKINGS

Cvent is an online tool for the submission of RFP and event leads and receiving proposals from hotel partners and responses from Destination Marketing Organizations (DMO) like ours. SMTT’s strategic marketing efforts and attendance at industry events has allowed SMTT to maintain a minimum of 25% or higher ‘copyshare’ and an increase in awarded room nights and new meeting professionals sourcing the destination. In addition to Cvent, SMTT utilizes a white-label RFP form on SantaMonica.com for meeting professionals to utilize and share RFPs, in hopes of securing their groups and events in Santa Monica.

HELMSBRISCOE

Booked Revenue: $2,686,570

Booked Room Nights: 5,451

CONFERENCE DIRECT

Booked Revenue: $354,039

Booked Room Nights: 821

*Does not include all group bookings*

LOCAL ACTIVITIES

PROGRAMS

SANTA MONICARES

Santa MoniCARES, Tourism Supporting the Community, launched in 2017 as a coalition between Santa Monica Travel & Tourism and community partners. The program harnesses the hospitality and generosity of Santa Monica’s tourism industry to support local nonprofit organizations.

Through targeted fundraising events, donation drives, and in-kind contributions, Santa MoniCARES supports initiatives addressing homelessness, hunger, environmental protection, workforce development, youth and senior services, and cultural programming.

Recent impact highlights include Volley-Ween, a Halloween-themed beach volleyball tournament, which raised $1,940 for Meals on Wheels West and the Westside Food Bank, matched for a total of $3,880; SOCKtober Drive collected 1,500 pairs of new socks for local shelters; and Holiday Donation Drive supported Chrysalis Santa Monica and the Westside Food Bank with clothing and food donations

WHY THIS MATTERS TO SANTA MONICA

Santa MoniCARES ensures that the success of Santa Monica’s tourism industry directly benefits the local community. By supporting vulnerable populations and local nonprofits, the program strengthens community wellbeing, fosters goodwill, and reinforces Santa Monica’s identity as a compassionate and socially responsible destination. Additionally, in support of those impacted by the Palisades Fire, Santa MoniCARES donated to the Westside Food Bank to aid local relief efforts.

I AM SANTA MONICA

“I Am Santa Monica” is a free, interactive training program designed to empower local employees with knowledge about the destination and elevate customer service across the city.

The program includes a two-hour workshop and guided tour, equipping participants with key insights, facts, and storytelling tools to enhance visitor experiences. Graduates become Official Santa Monica Ambassadors, with more than 3,450 trained to date.

WHY THIS MATTERS TO SANTA MONICA

Every interaction a visitor has shapes their perception of Santa Monica. By investing in frontline employee training, the program ensures consistent, high-quality experiences that drive repeat visitation, positive reviews, and increased spending at local businesses directly supporting the local economy.

VEO HELMET PARTNERSHIP

SMTT continues its partnership with Santa Monicabased, micro-mobility company Veo to distribute free helmets to riders across the city. The destination boasts an impressive 120 miles of bikeways, including 30 miles of protected green lanes, and this partnership encourages travelers to embrace active mobility safely. Because most visitors do not bring helmets with them, this partnership allows them to ride (or scoot) around town safely. Helmets are one size-fits-most and riders must be 18 to rent e-bikes or scooters. Helmets can be picked up and dropped off at any of our three Visitor Information Centers.

• Walk-In Visitor Information Center 2427 Main Street

• Pier Shop & Visitor Center 200 Santa Monica Pier

• Visitor Information Kiosk 1400 Ocean Avenue

TOURISM IMPROVEMEMT DISTRICT PROGRAM (TID)

Launched on March 7, 2022, the TID program supports the City’s clean and safe initiatives through a voluntary assessment funded by participating hotels. In partnership with Chrysalis, the program delivers daily cleanup services across key tourism areas. Program impact includes 9,246+ bags of trash collected; 2,077 graffiti removals; 4,870 stickers removed; and 14 biohazard items safely handled.

WHY THIS MATTERS TO SANTA MONICA

A clean and safe environment is essential for both residents and visitors. The TID program enhances quality of life, protects the City’s public spaces, and supports tourism recovery by ensuring Santa Monica remains welcoming, well-maintained, and competitive as a premier coastal destination. At the same time, the partnership with Chrysalis creates meaningful employment opportunities for individuals working to overcome barriers to employment. By supporting a local nonprofit that helps people re-enter the workforce, the program delivers both environmental and social impact strengthening the community while maintaining the City’s public spaces.

FILM SANTA MONICA

Launched on September 1, 2025, Film Santa Monica serves as the official film office for the City of Santa Monica, providing centralized, concierge-style permitting and production support. Over 215 permit applications submitted, and 165 productions filmed in Santa Monica YTD.

FSM actively markets Santa Monica through industry outreach, including AFM, AFCI, LMG, Golden Globes Foundation panels, Cannes Film Festival, International Markets and direct engagement with studios.

WHY THIS MATTERS TO SANTA MONICA

Film Santa Monica drives immediate economic impact while delivering longterm global exposure ensuring Santa Monica is recognized as the premier beach-city destination in the world. Productions bring spending to local businesses, create jobs, and showcase Santa Monica to worldwide audiences. By making filming more efficient and competitive, the program positions the City as a preferred destination for production strengthening both the local economy and Santa Monica’s global brand.

PROGRAMS

EVENTS

Los Angeles is preparing to welcome the world with an unprecedented calendar of major cultural and sporting events, and Santa Monica is the ideal place to call home throughout it all. With its iconic coastline, vibrant neighborhoods and convenient access to venues across the greater LA area, Santa Monica offers a picturesque base for experiencing the region’s biggest moments. From the Route 66 Centennial Celebration to Frieze Los Angeles and marquee sporting events like NBA All-Star Weekend 2026, FIFA World Cup 2026™ and Super Bowl LXI, staying in Santa Monica means enjoying coastal comfort while remaining just a short journey from the action.

Recognizing the potential impact of these events has been — and continues to be — a key part of Santa Monica Travel & Tourism’s long-term strategy. From dedicated web content, partnerships, and targeted paid media campaigns to hosting site visits for groups booking hotel room blocks, SMTT has consistently invested in marketing and promotional efforts designed to drive visitation and position Santa Monica as a premier destination throughout these global moments .

SANTA MONICA VISITOR INFORMATION CENTERS

Santa Monica Visitor Information Centers are your source for all things Santa Monica. We are here not only as a resource to guests, but to you — our travel partners and residents. All Visitor Information Centers provide:

• Friendly and knowledgeable staff

• Official Visitor Guides and Maps

• Hotel information and booking assistance

• Santa Monica-inspired merchandise and more

• Information on attractions, tours, shopping, dining, museums, galleries and entertainment

• Local events and activities

• Available 24/7, Matador AI instantly builds itineraries or answers travel questions directly on our website

We look forward to collaborating with our local partners to offer Santa Monica merchandise in their locations. These items can also be used to enrich and expand their welcome amenity programs and for locals to use for family reunions, weddings, holidays and celebrations.

• Traffic: 24,956 online store sessions with an average order of $32.

• Top markets visiting the store: United States, Ireland, and the Netherlands

• Top purchased items: Beachballs, Sunglasses, and Sweatshirts.

MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS

STATISTICS

Avg. Monthly Site Visits

1.98 Page Views Per Visit 25-34 Predominant Ages

142,056 45.1%

Female

DIGITAL MARKETING

Website efforts focused on ensuring the destination’s diverse domestic and international audiences can easily access, understand and engage with content on santamonica.com. Enhancements included implementing a translation tool supporting seven additional languages; introducing personalized content modules based on user interaction and behavior; and refreshing several high-traffic pages across the site. In April 2026, SMTT launched a streamlined, visually engaging homepage designed to better showcase business listings, events, neighborhoods and hotels.

Throughout the year, SMTT also worked closely with its agency of record to strengthen search engine optimization (SEO) strategies and improve overall site visibility. As AI-powered search platforms continued to evolve, the team quickly identified the growing importance of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and adapted content strategies accordingly. SMTT additionally onboarded a platform that enables sentiment testing across AI systems, helping the organization better understand how the destination is represented and optimize content based on those insights.

SMTT’s commitment to innovation extends beyond simply keeping pace with emerging technologies and digital trends — it is focused on creating dynamic online experiences that inspire visitors and deepen engagement with the destination. By embracing new advancements and continually evolving its digital presence, SMTT is enhancing Santa Monica’s appeal and creating more seamless and memorable interactions for travelers around the world.

PERFORMANCE STATISTICS (as of 03/31/26)

Santa Monica is a globally recognized coastal destination in Southern California, known for its iconic pier, walkable beachfront, vibrant dining scene, and blend of laid-back beach culture with urban sophistication. As a leading gateway to Los Angeles, it continues to attract both domestic and international audiences seeking authentic, experience-driven travel.

PERFORMANCE STATISTICS (as of 03/31/26)

• Conducted social media photo and video content sessions with 85 local businesses

• Collaborated with 225 influencers and local businesses on Instagram

• 6.1M total impressions across social channels

• 156K total engagements across social channels

• 71% increase in organic Instagram views

• 121% increase in organic Facebook views

• 52% increase in overall engagement

PARTNER PORTAL

SMTT supports all tourism-serving businesses that have a valid City of Santa Monica business license with a free listing on santamonica.com — a site visited by over 70,000 users every month.

On these dedicated listings, businesses can showcase images, video and key details, including the business name, address, phone number, website, description, amenities, logo, photos, videos and social media links. This puts businesses in front of visitors planning their stay in Santa Monica, as well as locals seeking events, specials and more. Plus, businesses that optimize their listings through the Partner Portal not only improve their SEO placements, but they also see up to 10 times more referral traffic than those that don’t.

To participate, businesses request access to the Partner Portal at santamonica.com/partner-portal .

For questions, please email partnerportal@santamonica.com.

FAMILIARIZATION TOURS

SMTT is proud to partner with vetted Santa Monica tourism-serving businesses through familiarization tours (FAMs). A FAM is designed for attendees ranging from travel agents and sales partners to journalists and influencers to experience first-hand what Santa Monica has to offer. The in-destination experiences allow them to better promote and sell the city to their customers, publications’ readers, social media followers and more. SMTT organizes the FAM tour itinerary from start to finish and works with local businesses on complimentary or discounted experiences for attendees throughout their stay in the city. FAM tours offer participating businesses with opportunities for not only exposure and relationship building, but also to showcase updated product, sustainable practices, experiences and more. For information or to become a participating business, please email clientservices@santamonica.com

360° EXPERIENCES

Since 2018, SMTT has teamed up with Threshold 360 to bring immersive 360° virtual tours to santamonica.com business listings. The impact of this program speaks for itself, as it drives an impressive 13.48% click-through rate, boosting visibility for local businesses and inspiring more visits to the destination. These interactive videos are free to both the businesses and users, letting visitors explore Santa Monica businesses firsthand through a dynamic online experience that also serves as a powerful sales tool. SMTT is excited to continue this collaboration, helping even more businesses shine online. Businesses can schedule these at threshold360.com/schedule

UPDATED REPORTING DASHBOARD

As part of SMTT’s strategy to elevate its data capabilities, we’ve integrated the Symphony Intelligence Platform into our operations, bringing powerful insights to the forefront of our decision-making. With access to inbound and outbound travel data from 300+ global cities, all 50 states and 190 countries, plus 30+ years of historical data, Symphony allows us to conduct in-depth market analyses in minutes. By combining this with SMTT’s existing dashboard, which holds over 20 years of historical data, we’re unlocking deeper market trends and fine-tuning our efforts to position Santa Monica as a top travel destination.

MEDIA COVERAGE

SMTT’s Communications team secured 230 pieces of coverage in global and domestic publications this year, with global circulation at 1,321,605,537 and estimated ad equivalency at $8,278,811.20. Top stories are showcased on page 87.

ROUTE 66

Route 66 holds a significant place in Santa Monica’s history, marking the Western terminus of this iconic highway that served as a lifeline for travelers during the mid-20th century. As the “End of the Trail” for Route 66, Santa Monica became emblematic of the American Dream and the promise of the open road.

To celebrate the 2026 Centennial of Route 66 — and determine the best way to promote the destination during the celebrations — Santa Monica Travel & Tourism created committees consisting of SMTT staff and members of the business community. These committees focused on Partnerships, Sponsorships & Marketing, Visual Arts & Culture and Food, Events & Activities.

AS PART OF THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION EFFORTS, SMTT FACILITATED THE FOLLOWING INITIATIVES:

• Paid advertising in the Visit California Road Trip Guide and Visitor Guides

• Paid advertising and advertorial content in Sunset Magazine

• Paid and organic social media campaigns

• Secured earned media coverage on Route 66 consisting of 55 articles reaching an audience of 632,355,613 representing more than $3 million in ad value

• Installed of light pole banners along Santa Monica Boulevard, Ocean Avenue and Lincoln Boulevard, denoting both the official end of the route at Mel’s Diner and the celebratory end at the Santa Monica Pier

• Hosted a Route 66 song contest open to the public in nine countries, featuring a $10,000 grand prize

• Distributed restaurant kits to more than 25 local restaurants, including coasters, cocktail napkins, coloring placemats, window clings and song contest posters

• Partnered with hotels to create Route 66-themed rooms and related offerings

• Partnered with Santa Monica Brew Works on a Route 66-themed beer called “End of the Trail Ale”

• Participated in a nationwide Today Show broadcast on NBC

• Produced a livestream featuring local musician Dane Navarro at McCabe’s Guitar Shop, which streamed during the National Route 66 Centennial concert in Missouri

• Co-hosted the “Santa Monica Welcomes Texas to Route 66” event on the Santa Monica Pier, featuring a steak-eating contest, live music and line dancing

• Formed committees to guide planning and coordination

• Events continue to expand as interest grows

• Served on a State Task Force contributing to statewide initiatives

MARKETING

In FY 25/26, our focus shifted toward building a more connected and engaging brand experience that focuses on engaging content and digital experiences that better connect with travelers, partners and the local community.

This year, we successfully launched the Meeting and Events Guide and Santa Monica Insider, creating new opportunities to deliver more timely and audience-focused content throughout the visitor journey. Alongside these launches, we introduced a revamped homepage and refreshed pillar pages on santamonica.com designed to improve navigation, highlight key destination experiences and create a more dynamic digital presence.

PAID MEDIA CAMPAIGN

Santa Monica Travel & Tourism’s paid marketing efforts from July 2025 through year-to-date have delivered strong, measurable results across visitation, digital performance, strategic partnerships, and brand development.

Key domestic target markets including Atlanta, Chicago, and Dallas each saw overnight visitor day increases of more than 20%, reflecting the effectiveness of our focused geographic paid video and display strategy. Visitors are spending an average of 5.3 days and generating nearly 50% of all in-market leisure spending, with New York and San Francisco emerging as the highest-value source markets by per-trip spend.

Our Expedia co-op campaign, which ran June through September 2025, was a standout performer — generating 5.7 million impressions, 11,869 total room nights, and $4.5 million in revenue at an average daily rate of $397. Based on that success, a spring 2026 Expedia campaign was launched with an estimated 3.4 million impressions and a 25% Visit California paid match, targeting travel intenders actively searching Santa Monica and competing LA-area destinations.

We have made significant improvements to our paid search strategy this fiscal year. By shifting away from broad brand terms toward high-intent keywords — such as “Best Beach in Los Angeles” and “Where to Stay in Los Angeles” — our search campaigns are now focused on driving direct bookings and delivering measurable results. The Local LA+SoCal campaign delivered an exceptional 18.16% click-through rate at just $0.55 cost-perclick, and the newly launched Spring Staycation campaign quickly reached an 8.52% CTR, in line with industry benchmarks. In January 2026, paid search posted a 49% year-over-year increase in conversion rate.

Social boosting via Meta provided consistent brand presence throughout the period, generating hundreds of thousands of monthly impressions at a disciplined spend. The Viant programmatic display campaign, launched in February 2026 to support the FIFA World Cup traveler effort, added nearly 1.7 million impressions across the February–April period and continues to optimize. A print placement in the LA Magazine Dodgers edition reached 450,000 monthly print readers and more than 516,000 average monthly digital views, extending Santa Monica’s visibility among a passionate regional audience.

We worked to revitalize santamonica.com to strengthen our organic search presence and AI platform visibility. The site now features front-end translation into seven languages (Mandarin, Arabic, Spanish, Japanese, French, German, and Portuguese) expanding our reach to international audiences.

This fiscal year also marked the launch of a new brand photo shoot, intentionally designed to portray Santa Monica as an open, welcoming destination for visitors of all demographics and backgrounds. The imagery reflects the inclusive spirit of our destination and will serve as the foundation for creative across paid, organic, and partner channels in the year ahead.

Looking forward, Santa Monica is exceptionally well-positioned to capitalize on a remarkable calendar of major events — including the FIFA World Cup 26, the U.S. Open Women’s Championship, the Route 66 Centennial, and ultimately the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games — ensuring our paid marketing investments and partnerships continue to drive long-term visitation growth and economic impact.

METRICS & OUTCOMES

Throughout our campaigns, key performance indicators (KPIs) were monitored to track campaign success. Totals for the fiscal year are:

• Impressions: 40,357,877

• Total Users: 865,962 Up 2.6% YOY

• Average Time On-Site: 00:01:43

Neighborhood Explorer

Navigate to santamonica.com and learn about Santa Monica’s neighborhoods through curated insights that reflect their distinct character, communities and local environments.

Across the industry, web traffic has declined as consumers increasingly rely on AI chat platforms for search and discovery. In response, we launched Scrunch AI in March 2026, along with AI-powered sentiment analysis tools that monitor how Santa Monica is represented across platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity. These tools enable us to proactively manage and shape Santa Monica’s narrative in the evolving landscape of AI-driven search.

Featured Event Section

Explore Santa Monica’s featured events on santamonica.com highlighting essential cultural experiences and notable happenings across the city.

OFFICIAL VISITOR GUIDE AND MAP

After a successful partnership with LA Magazine on the 2025 Visitor Guide, we partnered with them again for the 2026 edition, bringing production in-house to ensure an authentic, hyper-local, page-turning experience. This nearly 100-page curated guide showcases the best places to stay, play, shop and dine across Santa Monica’s walkable 8.3 square miles.

More than just a directory, the guide highlights Santa Monica’s leadership in sustainability, wellness and community, offering insider tips, hidden gems and mustvisit experiences to help travelers make the most of their stay — with an eye on new luxury offerings we’re eager to showcase.

Accompanying the guide, our detailed walking map makes navigating the city easy, while spotlighting new hotels, attractions and businesses. As essential planning tools, these complimentary publications help visitors make informed decisions before and during their trip. SMTT ensures broad distribution reaching international, domestic and regional markets, as well as local Santa Monica businesses. This ensures travelers everywhere can discover what makes our city truly special.

Visitors can pick up a free printed copy from any of our three Visitor Information Centers, request print materials via mail by filling out a simple web form or download digital copies at santamonica.com/publications . Bulk orders are available upon request.

2026-27 Visitor Guide & Map

The new issue will be ready by Late Summer 2026.

WAYS TO WORK WITH US

To provide Santa Monica tourism-serving businesses additional promotional opportunities, SMTT offers a variety of free and fair-share partnership programs, targeting both visitors planning their trip to Santa Monica and locals planning a staycation or night out. These programs offer digital, print and in-person exposure for businesses to showcase their services to both the leisure consumer and meetings/events planners. Additional information can be found at santamonica. com/partners/promote-your-business. SMTT regularly communicates these opportunities to existing businesses and conducts outreach to all new tourism-serving businesses who have a Santa Monica business license.

OPPORTUNITIES INCLUDE:

• Advertising in the Official Santa Monica Visitor Guide and Map, which is distributed to local, regional, domestic and international markets.

• Participating in trade shows and sales missions.

• Hosting travel media, travel agents and FAM groups.

• Networking with local industry professionals at SMTT events.

• Receiving qualified leads for group room nights, event space, group dining and offsite activities.

• Submitting events for inclusion on our event calendar, the most visited page on santamonica.com.**

• Attending the free “I Am Santa Monica” Workshop to become an Official Santa Monica Ambassador.**

• Advertising on santamonica.com or in SMTT’s eNewsletters.

• Volunteering for a committee.**

• Uploading information to free santamonica.com listing pages with business information, photos, videos and more via the Partner Portal.**

• Submitting seasonal and citywide specials for promotion on santamonica.com and other distribution channels.**

• Posting, tagging or emailing special events and media coverage to marketing@santamonica.com for additional promotional opportunities via our destination presence on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn.**

• Becoming a vetted business for SMTT-led familiarization (FAM) tours to receive unique exposure and networking opportunities with industry professionals — by emailing clientservices@santamonica.com

(** denotes a free service)

PR CIRCULATION & PUBLICITY VALUE

At SMTT, our Communications team works year-round to secure press coverage that positions Santa Monica as the premier beach city and essential California destination for travelers. With this goal in mind, our team works with journalists locally, nationally and internationally to bring bespoke stories to life that highlight our core marketing pillars.

This past fiscal year, we continued engaging media from Australia/New Zealand, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom/Ireland, India and the United States.

To secure this high-quality coverage, our team regularly hosts leading journalists, editors and influencers on press trips to highlight what’s new and noteworthy in the destination. Through a combination of ongoing proactive pitching, 23 press trips and 7 leading events and missions, our team secured 230 stories in 149 global publications this fiscal year reaching potential travelers in key markets.

TOP PRESS ACCOLADES 25/26

Our team is proud to have been featured in 230 pieces of coverage this year, including several placements showcasing Santa Monica at the top of sought-after “Best of” lists.

Santa Monica was notably selected for CNN’s Where to Travel in 2026 list, recognizing our destination’s significance as the western terminus of Route 66 in its centennial year and as a home base for those attending FIFA World Cup 2026™. Travel & Leisure Asia also honored Santa Monica on its Top 26 Places to Visit in the USA: 2026 Edition. In addition, our destination was recognized on lists highlighting Route 66 including Conde Nast Traveller’s The Best Places to Go in the U.S. in 2026, Club Alliance AAA’s 10 Top Travel Destinations Trending for 2026 and Passport Magazine by Kiwi Collection’s 10 Best Places to Visit in 2026.

We are also proud to be named among the top 10 on TripAdvisor’s Best of the Best Beaches list in 2026 celebrating our sandy shores, beach bike path and beautiful views from the Santa Monica Pier. Our culinary scene shined with five local restaurants included in the Los Angeles Times 101 Best Restaurants and 14 restaurants honored in the acclaimed MICHELIN dining guide , including two Bib Gourmand distinctions, one One Star restaurant and one Two Star restaurant. MICHELIN distinctions continued with six Santa Monica properties selected as MICHELIN Key Hotels in October 2025.

INDUSTRY AWARDS 25/26

Our beachside city continued earning recognition from a range of prestigious industry organizations this fiscal year. These accolades remain a key strategic priority for SMTT, strengthening brand reputation and reinforcing traveler confidence in Santa Monica as a premier global destination.

In total, Santa Monica secured eight honors this year, including a second consecutive win for North America’s Leading Tourist Board from the World Travel Awards; and recognition by the Sunset Travel Awards , where the city was named among the Best Superlative Cities on the West Coast and featured once again in the publication’s esteemed directory. Santa Monica also earned its third consecutive WhereverFamily Awards honor for Best Family-Friendly Beach Town, West Coast United States, and received its fourth Trazee Awards win for Favorite Beach Town, West Coast United States, underscoring continued appeal among young travelers and families.

Our team’s excellence was further recognized across communications and marketing disciplines. SMTT received a Gold Travel Weekly Magellan Awards honor for Best Communications and PR Plan for its Santa Monica Beach Volleyball campaign, featuring three-time Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings, along with an Honorable Mention from the Ragan PR Daily Media Relations Awards for Best Use of a Celebrity or Personality for the same campaign. The organization also earned a Bronze HSMAI Adrian Awards honor for Reputation Management for its crisis communications and recovery efforts during and after the Los Angeles wildfires.

Additionally, two members of SMTT’s team were recognized with a 30 & Under Emerging Leader Award from the California Travel Association’s esteemed CalTravel Awards , highlighting the strength of the organization’s rising talent and marking the third consecutive year of wins in this category for our staff. Together, these honors reflect a sustained commitment to excellence in destination marketing, immersive storytelling and industry leadership.

PR FAMILIARIZATION TOURS (FAMS)

SMTT’s Communications team hosted 42 media and influencers on press trips this year, representing nearly 30 publications:

• Madame Figaro (France)

• AMEX

• New Zealand Herald

• Escape (Australia)

• The Telegraph (UK)

• HELLO! Magazine UK

• Nonchalant Magazine (UK)

• Connoisseur Circle (Germany)

• delicious. Magazine (Australia)

• SETTV Taiwan

• USTV Taiwan

• TTN Media Group (Taiwan)

• Harper’s Bazaar India

• Cosmopolitan India

• America Journal (Germany)

• Manorama (India)

• LUXE City Guides

• Wine Enthusiast

• Stuff Magazine (New Zealand)

• Mamamia (Australia)

• 9Travel (Australia)

• Glamour UK

• Cosmopolitan UK

• Belfast Telegraph (Ireland)

• Numero Magazine (France)

• Marie Claire France

• Le Monde (France)

• Le Telegramme (France)

• Smart Meetings

PETER GREENBERG’S SANTA MONICA FEATURE

Legendary CBS Travel Editor and Host Peter Greenberg is a vocal champion for our seaside city. This fiscal year, he spotlighted Santa Monica through two distinct national features across television and radio. In December 2025, Santa Monica took center stage in an episode of “Hidden Gems,” where Greenberg explored the city through the lens of Route 66, uncovering lesser-known stories, local icons and unique experiences that define our 8.3-square-mile coastal destination. The episode continues to reach audiences through expanded distribution on PBS, Amazon Prime and Apple TV+, extending Santa Monica’s visibility to viewers around the world.

An episode of “Eye on Travel,” recorded in Santa Monica, aired in April 2026, broadcast across hundreds of stations nationwide and available via major streaming platforms. The three-hour program focused on Route 66, highlighting milestone moments tied to the historic centennial and previewing signature events such as the Santa Monica International Jazz Festival. Together, these features underscore Santa Monica’s enduring appeal, rich storytelling and continued prominence on the national stage.

MEDIA MISSIONS AND EVENTS

AUSTRALIA SALES & MEDIA MISSION

Attending media missions and industry events is a critical part of Santa Monica Travel & Tourism’s strategy to engage directly with journalists, editors, and storytellers who influence travel decisions and shape global perception of the destination.

Throughout the year, SMTT participated in IMM New York, IMM United Kingdom, and IMM France, securing one-on-one meetings with top tier media to generate story opportunities and strengthen relationships across key markets.

SMTT also led targeted Sales and Media Missions in the United Kingdom and France, reinforcing our presence in priority international markets and deepening engagement with both media and trade partners.

Additional participation included IPW, the travel industry’s leading international marketplace, and the Visit California India Media Mission, supporting expansion into emerging markets and increasing global awareness of Santa Monica.

These efforts ensure Santa Monica remains top of mind among influential media and continues to generate meaningful earned coverage in a competitive global landscape.

OTHER UPDATES

SANTA MONICA VISITOR INFORMATION CENTERS

Santa Monica Visitor Information Centers are your source for all things Santa Monica. We are here not only as a resource to guests, but to you — our travel partners and residents. All Visitor Information

Centers provide:

• Friendly and knowledgeable staff.

• Official Visitor Guides and Maps.

• Hotel information and booking assistance.

• Itinerary suggestions.

• Transportation information.

• Free bike helmets.

• Information on attractions, tours, shopping, dining, museums, galleries and entertainment.

• Santa Monica-inspired merchandise and more.

We look forward to collaborating with our local partners to offer Santa Monica merchandise in their locations. These items can also be used to enrich and expand welcome amenity programs and for locals to use for family reunions, weddings, holidays and celebrations.

Questions? Please contact us. Toll Free: (800) 771-2322. Phone: (310) 319-6263. Text: (424) 443-7444. Fax: (310) 319-6273. Email: info@santamonica.com

We welcome you to visit any of our locations below and see what is new!

• Walk-In Visitor Information Center 2427 Main Street

• Pier Shop & Visitor Information Center 200 Santa Monica Pier

• Visitor Information Kiosk 1400 Ocean Avenue

• Website AI Chatbot (24/7 assistance) santamonica.com

For location hours, visit SantaMonica.com

ONLINE STORE

Bring the spirit of Santa Monica home with our exclusive merchandise. From stylish apparel to unique souvenirs, find the perfect gift or keepsake to celebrate your love for our iconic coastal city. Shop now and take a piece of Santa Monica with you!

santamonica.myshopify.com

PERFORMANCE:

• Traffic: 24,956 online store sessions with an average order of $32

• Top markets visiting the store: United States, Ireland, and the Netherlands

• Top purchased items: Beachballs, Sunglasses, and Sweatshirts

WEBSITE AI CHATBOT

Santa Monica Travel & Tourism recently launched the new AI travel genius feature on santamonica.com using GuideGeek artificial intelligence technology from Matador Network. The AI tool is available 24 hours a day and can instantly plan an entire itinerary or answer specific questions about the best wellness experiences, beach activities, restaurants, neighborhood hot spots, hotels and more.

GLOSSARY

ADR – Average Daily Rate. One of the core indicators, along with other metrics, such as occupancy rate and revenue per available room, used to measure the operating performance of a lodging unit such as a hotel or motel.

CPM – Cost per mile. The amount an advertiser pays a website per one thousand visitors who see the advertisement.

CTA – Call to action.

CTR – Click-through rate. A measure of how often people click on an ad or link after seeing it, calculated by dividing the number of clicks by the number of impressions.

DEIA – Diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.

DMO – Destination Marketing Organization. A company or other entity involved in the business of increasing tourism to a destination or improving its public image. For example, Santa Monica Travel & Tourism and Visit California are considered DMOs.

FAM – Familiarization Tour. A complimentary or reduced rate travel program for pre-qualified journalists, travel agents, tour operators, airline employees and top travel buyers, designed to acquaint participants with specific destinations or suppliers and to stimulate the sale of travel.

FIT – Flexible Independent Travel. A kind of travel where trip plans are highly customized to a traveler’s needs. Usually, a tour operator has arranged blocks of rooms at various destinations in advance for use by these international travelers, each of whom is traveling independently, usually by rental car or public transportation. A FIT trip would be one where an itinerary has been crafted specifically for a client or group of clients and is not marketed to others outside of those travelers.

KPI – Key performance indicator. A quantifiable measure of performance over time for a specific objective.

MICE – Meeting, Incentive, Conference/Congress and Exhibition/Events. An internationally used term for the events industry.

OTAS – Online Travel Agencies are travel websites that provide online bookings for hotels, airlines, cars and other travel-related services to users.

PME – Professional Meetings and Events. To help with post-pandemic recovery, Visit California created a meetings- and conventions-focused B2B platform Meet What’s Possible and refers to its initiatives and plans in this area with the acronym PME.

RTO – A receptive tour operator is a local tour company that specializes in inbound tourism experiences and manages products and/or services for incoming visitors that are often booked via international tour operators.

STR – Often pronounced “star,” Smith Travel Research. A data aggregation source that provides DMOs with data from local hotels, ADR, occupancy rates and more.

TID – Tourism Improvement District program. The purpose of the TID is to support city services in and around several hotels, city parking lots and open-air spaces to improve the experience of the visitor and quality of life for the residents. The TID does not replace city services.

TMD Tourism Marketing District – The Santa Monica TMD includes all lodging businesses located within the boundaries of the City of Santa Monica with an average daily rate of $100 and above. Santa Monica’s hotels have chosen to assess themselves to generate stable, dedicated funding specifically for tourism promotion. There are no new taxes or government spending required for the Santa Monica TMD.

TOT Transient Occupancy Tax – Tax placed on hotel/motel room rentals that collects into the City of Santa Monica’s general fund, providing funding for street improvements, police and fire, parks and libraries.

TOUR OPERATOR – A company that creates and/or markets inclusive tours and/or performs tour services.

TRAVEL TRADE – The collective term for tour operators, wholesalers and travel agents.

WHOLESALER – Develops and markets inclusive tours and individual travel programs to consumers through travel agents. Wholesalers don’t sell directly to the public.

YOY – Year-over-Year. Shows an increase or decrease in metrics compared with the same time period the previous year.