Photos provided by City of Morgan Hill

Tourism in California is big business . In 2012 , over 900,000 people in this State were employed in travel-related businesses . In 2011 , tourism in California generated over 102.3 billion dollars !

Morgan Hill ’ s Abundance of Tourism Attractions

Morgan Hill has an abundance of recreational opportunities , wineries , open space , quaint downtown and friendly farms . It has infrastructure to support more tourism with motel rooms and numerous restaurants . Locals know that Morgan Hill is a great place to live . What was lacking on the tourism front was a concerted effort to attract more visitors !

In January 2013 , a group of concerned civic and business leaders took the first step towards the effort to attract more tourists . People representing hotels , restaurants , recreation , wineries plus the Chamber , the Downtown Association and the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley formed the Tourism Alliance .

On April 18 , 2013 the Tourism Alliance held its first Community Forum . 80 people came together and produced over 70 ideas to promote tourism in Morgan Hill . David Dworkin from Holiday Inn Express , Greg Richtarek from Guglielmo Winery , Jeff Dixon with MHYSA and Salvatore Calisi from Odium Restaurant formed the Industry Panel . Their presentations set the stage for ten group discussions called “ Open MarketPlace .”

The major ideas from the “ Open MarketPlace ” focused on : Sports Destination Agri-Tourism Wine Experience Way Finding Signage for Wineries Open Space Tourism Downtown Activation 100 % Local Wine Tasting Co-Op Community Calendar Cross Promotion Wakeboard Park Downtown Theatre

City staff in partnership with the Tourism Alliance is expected to prioritize the following items and conduct a progress report before the end of the calendar year ( June 30 ):

• Develop a common message that brands Morgan Hill as a tourism destination .

• Develop a central community calendar of events that is all-inclusive , comprehensive and user-friendly .

• Develop marketing collateral that “ tells the full story ” of the amenities Morgan Hill has to offer , including wineries , restaurants , recreational venues , open space , pick-your-own farms and ranches ; and that identifies Downtown and other shopping opportunities .

• Cross-promote local businesses by having businesses act as concierges , directing visitors to other attractions .

• Develop a wine-signage [ program that includes freeway signage and a multi-jurisdictional wine trail .

• Activate Downtown and offer more activities for the visitor in addition to dining and shopping .

• Grow the recreational offerings and attract more sporting events .

Expand the Tourism Alliance to include representatives from the Farm Bureau , the Open Space Authority and the Santa Clara County staff and any other key regional partners needed to execute the tourism strategies .

Engage the Tourism Forum participants and provide a platform for people to engage and advance other strategies in addition to the seven top items identified above .

Explore ways to collaborate and engage other agencies and continue to support and nurture organizations forming around the tourism strategy .

On June 19 , city staff presented the results of the first Morgan Hill Community forum on Tourism to the City Council . Sub-groups will be formed to work on the issues identified .

Community members who might be interested in working tourism issues should contact Edith Ramirez , Morgan Hill Economic Development Director , at 408-310-4633 
 or edith . ramirez @ morganhill . ca . gov

S U M M E R 2 0 1 3 M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y

55