Temecula Tourism Launches Nationwide Campaign To Attract Visitors

TEMECULA, CA — A campaign to help Southern California’s chief wine region — the Temecula Valley — rebound from COVID-19-related tourism losses has been launched, with the aim of bringing nationwide awareness to what many consider is one of SoCal's most alluring attractions.

Temecula and the surrounding valley, which has about 50 wineries with two more due to start up, kicked off the “Live Glass Full” marketing campaign August 18 to stimulate tourism, said Annette Brown, a spokesperson for the Visit Temecula Valley tourism promotion nonprofit.

The $300,000 nationwide campaign targets the leisure travel audience and will extend to Canada and the United Kingdom as borders open up. San Diego-based Greenhaus was brought on to create the campaign, and the launch came after a "two-year discovery process" involving target market surveys, interviews with key stakeholders, and product research, according to VTV officials.

The region that’s an hour’s drive from central San Diego and 90 minutes from Los Angeles is using Live Glass Full to bill itself as a “wine-plus destination," Brown told Patch. The campaign will focus on "engaging experiences and events" that complement a visit to Temecula Wine Country.

“Most people don’t realize there’s a Wine Country in Southern California,” Brown said. “Now we’re saying we’re a wine-plus destination. We have an Old Town, a small-town atmosphere and an emerging culinary scene.”

The campaign will run over the next few years as an “umbrella” under which hotels may offer their own packages and promotions. It will target consumers for mid-week visits to pull up the number of arrivals from Sunday through Thursday, the organization's CEO and President Kimberly Adams said in a statement August 18.

Some wines in the Temecula Valley have received ratings in the 90s from critics, Brown said, but they are relatively unknown to the public because travelers must come first to try them.

There are a lot of dollars on the line.

The Temecula Valley received a record $1.1 billion in tourism revenue in 2018, more than twice that of 2015, Brown said. Local tourism today employs 8,830 people. Visits declined for some wineries last year as the state ordered business closures and urged people to stay home, though Brown said some of the businesses still sold wine through curbside pickups.

--------------

ALSO SEE: Weekend At A Winery: Enjoy Wine, Chocolate & Meet A Camel