TBID Santa Barbara?

TBID increases? Are you kidding? The hotel industry in Santa Barbara has no need for aN additional financial burden at this time. It’s questionable that TBID has done anything for the industry at all except enrich itself to drink and travel on the already too-high TBID funds collected from our esteemed customers, tourists. Actual customers are paying for a few people to get drunk elsewhere. It’s a burden that will force local hotels down, and force some visitors to decide it’s too costly here. Santa Barbara sells itself. Hotels can advertise themselves. NO to continued TBID.

We want out of TBID. We advertise ourselves. We know our guests come to us by other means than by advertising efforts made by TBID.

Agreed, but the TBID is cancellable every year for a one month window…

We attended the TBID presentation last Thursday, and seeing who's there or lack of opposition voice, looked like VisitSB has the vote needed already. So be ready for the next 10 years. Hope we are wrong.

Motel 6 state st

Please do not do this in the middle of summer. We have reservations in place already and have to change them on several online platforms. Give us more time to do our homework and see the data. We are all busy recovering from Covid and no employees.

We oppose to TBID increase as we are afraid it may turn guests away from Santa Barbara due to high cost

This is the wrong time to raise the taxes on the tourist that are coming here. VSB needs to try and make better use of the funding it has now. The increase is too much. this equates ultimately a 15% bed tax.

I do support VSB and all that they do. I have spoken to them about this and they know that I support what they do. I do however feel that this is being rushed and pushed through too quickly with little input from the local hospitality industry. I think we should hold off for now and have more time to create a plan better suited to equitably distribute payment.

we need to encourage tourists to come to Santa Barbara not increase their taxes.

we don't want to tax tourists more. they will go to other cities.

We appreciate VSB and their efforts/results over the years, however in the inflationary climate we're facing every effort should be made to freeze costs, not raise them. We've recently enjoyed high room and occupancy rates. Let's not take advantage of it and assign costs for the next 10 years. The prospect of imposing 10 years of higher fees upon guests with no additional benefits is irresponsible. VSB efforts are largely digital and should not require the level of increases proposed. We would support an increase in daily VSB costs (should they be warranted and supported), however there is no merit to percentage-based revenues. VSB efforts are static regardless of room rate. They serve each owner equally. Is VSB underserving owners of lower rent rooms. Or, do they disproportionately market to higher room rates. Percentage-based fees are inequitable in both cases. The VBS mission is to promote Santa Barbara as a whole with all owners benefitting equally. Proper alignment between owners and marketers (VSB) would go a long way to resolution. For us, the current proposal is unacceptable. The needs for such a dramatic increase has not been demonstrated. Will the benefits to guests and owners be commensurate? If so, we're more than willing to listen.

We appreciate what VSB does but don't think it warrants the rates of increase.

I believe this market draws demand enough on its own to validate holding off on increasing this tax.

We tried TBID and now it's time to try something else. Santa Barbara is a destination and always will be. Best to spend money keeping it clean and safe. Then it advertises itself! We shouldn't be forced to collect money for any one group or organization. We should have the right to advertise how we want.