Santa Monica Ready To Welcome Canadians
Santa Monica has a message for Canadian travel advisors, tour operators and their clients … “come and visit, we’re open” and ready to welcome you.
Three representatives from Santa Monica Travel & Tourism (SMTT) — Michael Gurrieri, Chief Marketing Officer; Ozzie Otero, National Sales Manager, Global Business Development; and Mandi Prince, Public Relations Manager – along with three hoteliers — Melissa Perez- Director of East Coast Leisure Sales – Casa del Mar & Shutters on the Beach; Danielle Gambardella- Director of Leisure Sales – Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows; and Angel De Lara-Hamel- Director of Sales and Business Development, Regent Santa Monica – were in Canada during the first week of April spreading the word and updating the trade on the latest news from the destination.
SMTT’s Gurrieri said that things are going well these as the destination, noting that before the pandemic, 51% of Santa Monica’s visitors were international travellers, with Canada one of its strongest markets, accounting for between 10% and 12% of its visitors.
He describes Santa Monica as Los Angeles’ beach, pointing on that it’s also the closest major city to LAX, not to mention being a walkable city. In fact, Gurrieri said that historically, 80% of Santa Monica’s visitors don’t use a car while they’re in the destination.
On the hotel side of things, there’s a lot going.
Angel De Lara-Hamel- Director of Sales and Business Development, Regent Santa Monica, had some big news for the Canadian travel trade.
De Lara-Hamel told his audiences that the Regent Santa Monica would open its doors later this year and in doing so, will become the first Regent property in North America. The opening, which is creating lots of buzz, is scheduled for the end of November or early December.
Melissa Perez- Director of East Coast Leisure Sales – Casa del Mar & Shutters on the Beach, offered an update on both of her properties, making it clear to Canadian agents on hand that each of the hotels has a different vibe, but they appeal to virtually every type of clientele.
Danielle Gambardella- Director of Leisure Sales – Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, told her audience that her property ‘definitely has a vibe’ all its own, pointing out that because of its location, it gets a lot of locals as well as the visitors that it welcomes from all over the world.
Before COVID, Gambardella said that Canada was its largest market and with the lifting of restrictions on Canadian travel, she’s anticipating that Canadians will return to the property, noting that the response to the Santa Monica events in Canada has more than confirmed that expectation.
Go to https://santamonica.com for more.
