San Bernardino is the new site for official California Welcome Center

The State of California Department of Tourism awarded an official site for the California Welcome Center to the San Bernardino Convention & Visitors Bureau on Thursday, September 7, 2006. The Welcome Center in San Bernardino is scheduled to open during Spring 2007 at 1955 Hunts Lane with 2,500 square feet for the center. The site, adjacent to the I-10 Freeway and Hospitality Lane, will also house the San Bernardino Convention & Visitors Bureau offices.

“This is extremely exciting because this literally puts San Bernardino on the map as a tourism destination,” Steve Henthorn, President and CEO of the San Bernardino Convention & Visitors Bureau, said. “This could not have happened without the tremendous support of our regional public and private partners and the hard work of the CVB staff.”

According to statewide surveys, provided by Certified Folder Display Service, Inc., a welcome center near a major California highway has potential to draw 100,000 visitors to a region annually. The Welcome Center will feature backlit displays, brochures, internet kiosks and electronic information on primarily the Inland Empire as well as other cities throughout the state of California. The décor of the Welcome Center will be a Route 66 theme, which will attract national and international visitors traveling the Mother Road.

The Welcome Center in San Bernardino will educate visitors, regional residents and college students looking to advance their education at an area university or college. Businesses and families considering relocating to the Inland Empire region will find the resources at the Welcome Center to be very beneficial. The Welcome Center will be open to the public every day of the year except for four major holidays: New Years Day, Easter Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Current welcome center investment partners include: San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino; the Economic Development Agencies of the City and County of San Bernardino; the city of San Bernardino; National Orange Show Events Center; Big Bear Lake Resort Association; the city of Rancho Cucamonga; Century 21-Showcase Reality; Automobile Club of Southern California; the city of Redlands; Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa; Downtown Redlands Business Association; University of California, San Bernardino; San Bernardino Community College District; the University of Redlands; Wildlands Conservancy; Best Western on Hospitality Lane and the San Bernardino International Airport Authority. The Welcome Center has some additional room for sponsorship and advertising. For information contact Mary Casanova-Poland at 909-889-3980 or email mary@san-bernardino.org.

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The San Bernardino Convention & Visitors Bureau (San Bernardino CVB) is a private, non-profit corporation composed of Hospitality organizations, businesses, local governments, and individuals seeking a better community through the visitor industry. San Bernardino CVB members include tourism-related entities in such categories as lodging, dining, art & culture, attractions, shopping, and transportation, among others, as well as companies indirectly involved in the visitor industry.

As a sales and marketing organization, the main objective of the San Bernardino CVB is to promote and market the San Bernardino Area as a vacation destination and meeting site. San Bernardino CVB also represents and supports the interests of the visitor industry as a whole. The majority of funding received by San Bernardino CVB is derived from the Transient Occupancy Tax on hotel rooms. (This tax is levied on all hotel rooms in the city and was originated to support the promotion of the area.) As a membership organization, the San Bernardino CVB also receives financial support from member dues and promotional assistance from the membership through donated in-kind services.

Mission Statement: The San Bernardino Convention & Visitors Bureau (SBCVB) shall attract conventions, conferences, and business meetings; coordinate facilities, housing, restaurants, and services to meet each organization's needs, and work to bring visitors back to the San Bernardino area in the future; attract group tours to San Bernardino; provide aggressive marketing and promotions; and develop and implement special events that generate days and dollars spent in the San Bernardino area while working to enhance the general public's image of the community.

San Bernardino Convention & Visitors Bureau
201 North E Street Suite 103
San Bernardino, CA 92401
Phone: 909-889-3980
Fax: 909-888-5998
Press Contact: Andrea Winter
Email: andrea@san-bernardino.org
Website: www.sanbernardino.travel

This release was published on openPR.