Readying for California’s full reopening on Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced six “California Dream Vacations.” The initiative is aimed at helping local travel and tourism industries recover from the toll of the coronavirus pandemic.
The vacations will be raffled off on July 1 and will include visits to San Francisco, San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles and Palm Springs. Californians who have received at least their first coronavirus vaccination are eligible.
Hospitality partners are providing the vacations in partnership with the state, which will provide $2,000 per vacation for travel costs.
Newsom emphasized California's high vaccination rate as part of the state’s success in navigating the pandemic. Now, according to Newsom, the state needs to focus on California’s tourism sector.
It is time to “[rebuild] an industry that really had a sledgehammer taken to it in the last year,” he said.
In 2019, the state saw a record high of $145 billion in visitor spending. But, the major high was followed by a coronavirus slump. According to the American Hotel & Lodging Association, nearly 200,000 hotel-related jobs were lost during the pandemic.
A revision to the 2021-2022 state budget in May includes $95 million one-time federal American Rescue Plan Act funds for “strategic media recovery campaigns that will jump start the recovery of the travel and tourism industry once it is safe to travel.”
The governor listed California attractions like Disneyland, SeaWorld and Legoland, before adding, “Eat your heart out, the rest of the US.”
The trips are part of a $116.5 million "Vax for the Win" incentive program announced in the hopes of enticing people to get the COVID-19 shots.
So far, 30 people have won $50,000 each as part of a lottery of vaccinated Californians. The program also awards $50 gift or grocery cards to 2 million people who get their first dose of vaccine.
On Tuesday, California will lift the bulk of its COVID-19 restrictions, and the state will pick 10 winners who will receive $1.5 million each.
Assemblymember David Chui said supporting California’s tourism and travel industries is personal.
Chiu, who represents San Francisco, originally came to visit the city as a 21-year-old tourist. Now, he is raising his family there.
Chiu thanked the hotels that housed emergency responders during the pandemic before adding, “Now, it's our turn to make sure our hotels come roaring back.”
Newsom also announced there will be the introduction of electronic vaccination papers later this week. It will be voluntary and is not a vaccination passport, according to the governor.