Travel and tourism experts in San Luis Obispo want to draw more foot traffic into the city during the work week.
Visit SLO is offering $100 in cash to anyone staying at least two nights at a hotel between Sunday and Thursday for booking made between July 1 and Aug. 31, 2022.
The goal is to help offset high gas prices.
“There’s never a shortage of things to do—Sunday through Thursday included,” said Molly Cano, tourism manager for the city of San Luis Obispo.
Visit SLO is reviving a program aimed at drawing in mid-week tourists during the height of the summer travel season.
“We know that it’s a busy time of year to travel, but it’s also getting a bit more expensive these days-- so, we wanted to give them a special little offer, 100 dollars in their pocket,” said Cano.
To qualify, visitors need to book at least two nights at any hotel within city limits between Sunday and Thursday.
The next step is emailing the booking confirmation to info@visitslo.com.
Once the hotel stay is verified, you can pick up $100 in cash at the downtown visitor’s center.
“The guests have told us that they’re very excited about the promotion. It certainly alleviates the concern people have been having about the increased gas prices,” said Lori Keller with Blue Hotel Management, which oversees the Apple Farm.
Keller says that tourism numbers are strong but described the situation as tumultuous compared to last year.
“This year, it’s been a little bit more ups and downs—much more last-minute booking—people waiting for deals,” she said.
Tourism officials hope to draw in people hesitant to travel due to high gas prices and inflation.
They add that the response so far is promising.
“So, this promotion is definitely more popular than we saw during the spring,” said Cano. “Obviously, it’s a busier time of year for folks to be traveling and making those summer trips.”
At least 100 people have taken advantage of the offer so far.
The deal runs through Aug. 31.
The money for the promotion came from a tax levied on hotel stays by the Tourism Business Improvement District.
For more information on the offer and qualifications, click here.
