The Ventura County cities of Camarillo, Oxnard and Ventura each approved the renewal of the Tourism Business Improvement District Thursday, and will welcome Port Hueneme as the newest member of the district effective July 1. Formerly known as Ventura-Oxnard-Camarillo Tourism Business District, the TBID will now be called the VenturaCountyWest Tourism Business Improvement District and each city will continue to allocate funds toward marketing its hospitality businesses. The TBID was first approved in 2011 to bring more tourists and boost revenue for hospitality and related retail businesses in the region. More than 60 hotels currently participate, paying 1.5 percent of revenue from hotel room rentals toward collective marketing efforts. An economic impact study conducted for the Ventura County Lodging Association by SMG Consulting found that overnight visitors in Ventura, Oxnard and Camarillo have increased by 1.14 million to 1.29 million from 2011 to 2014. Overall travel spending has also increased in the three cities by nearly $200 million to more than $950 million from 2011 to 2014. “The renewal by all three cities sends a strong message that our VenturaCountyWest marketing efforts are working,” Victor Dollar, Ventura County Lodging Association chair, said in a statement. The TBID promotes the region through broadcast, print and digital media advertising, plus social media and public relations.
