[DVBC] [Fwd: [sbbike] Fwd: 2008 Amgen Tour of CA Economic Impact in Santa Barbara County]

[Larry Green]

Bike Racing does good for the neighborhood.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	[sbbike] Fwd: 2008 Amgen Tour of CA Economic Impact in Santa 
Barbara County
Date: 	Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:09:08 -0700
From: 	Ralph Fertig <sb-ralph at cox.net>
To: 	SB Bicycle Coalition <sbbike at lists.riseup.net>



Following is a press release about the Amgen Tour of California & the
economic benefit that it had on Santa Barbara County.  Certainly, if
local hotels & restaurants & shops see an enhanced bottom line by
encouraging bicycling here, they will promote more.

Our Bicycle Coalition was a sponsor of the Stage 6 start of the Tour in
Santa Barbara on February 23rd.  We distributed lots of literature,
chatted with bike people at our booth, & gained some new members.  The
Kids Race, Cottage Hospital's Family Fitness Fair, & UCSB's valet bike
parking all helped attract people & associate bicycling with fitness.

~~ Ralph Fertig
~~ Santa Barbara Bicycle Coaltiion

---------------- Begin Forwarded Message ----------------

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY WELCOMES RACE FOR THIRD YEAR

Stage 5 -- Solvang Individual Time Trial (Friday, Feb. 22, 2008)
Stage 6 -- Santa Barbara Start (Saturday, Feb. 23, 2008)

N E W S                                         For Immediate Release:
March 18, 2008

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Solvang Conference & Visitors Bureau: Tracy Farhad, Ex. Dir. 805-688-6144
or tracy at solvangusa.com

Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau: Kathy Janega-Dykes,
President/CEO, 805-966-9222 or kathy at santabarbaraca.com and Shannon
Brooks, Communications Manager, sbrooks at santabarbaraca.com

INFO: www.amgentourofcalifornia.com; www.tourofcalifornia-solvang.com;
www.TourSB.com

SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT FORECASTED IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
FROM 2008 AMGEN TOUR OF CALIFORNIA

Santa Barbara County, California.  The Amgen Tour of California, a
650-mile, 8-day professional cycling race modeled after the Tour de
Franceórolled into, stopped, started and continued through Santa Barbara
County for the third time in as many years. On Friday, February 22, 2008,
the city of Solvang in the heart of Santa Barbara County wine country
hosted the Stage 5 Individual Time Trial where an estimated 15,000
spectators lined downtown streets and along the 15-mile route through the
Santa Ynez Valley. On Saturday, February 23, 2008, the City of Santa
Barbara hosted the Stage 6 Start beginning at Chase Palm Park on Cabrillo
Boulevardówhere an estimated 5,000 fans cheered along the beachfront and
more than 2,000 lined the race route that lead through Montecito and
Carpinteria (ending 105 miles later in Santa Clarita). Statewide
estimates indicate more than

1.6 million spectators viewed the race between February 17-25, 2008.

Based on preliminary figures, hotel rooms reserved just for Tour
cyclists, staff and organizers generated approximately 463 room nights in
Solvang and approximately 276 hotel room nights in Santa Barbara,
infusing more than $81,000 into local lodging coffers. Thousands of race
fans and media filled many hotels in Solvang, the Santa Ynez Valley and
Santa Barbara on Thursday and Friday eveningsóinfusing additional lodging
revenue. Santa Barbara CVB research shows that day visitors spend close
to $90 daily on dining, shopping, and activities. The Santa Barbara
Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center on Cabrillo Boulevard & Garden Street
reported that Thursday/Friday walk-in traffic was busier than normal;
with Saturday traffic at least 30% higher than a typical Saturday in
February. Anecdotally, most frequently, visitors were looking for rooms
and maps to follow the Tour.

Tracy Farhad, Executive Director of the Solvang Conference & Visitors
Bureau noted, "Solvang was delighted to host the Time Trial for the
second year in a row. Several of the Tour teams held their training camps
here prior to the race, re-enforcing the 'cycling mecca' moniker enjoyed
by Solvang and the Santa Ynez Valley and contributing significantly to
our local economy. We view cycling tourism as a year-round clean,
healthy, family-friendly activity. We also host some of the largest
amateur bike races in the USA. The Amgen Tour of California continues to
shine a bright spotlight on Solvang and our friendly, European-style
hospitality."

"Many segments of our local economy benefit both short-and-long-term from
the income generated by the Tour," remarked Kathy Janega-Dykes,
President/CEO of the Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau, "Santa
Barbara County, with beaches, mountains, valleys, and vineyards crossed
with hundreds of miles of bike trails and cycling routes, once again
provided a superb setting for Stages 5 and 6 of the Tour. We were
thrilled to welcome the teams, staff, organizers and technicians,
spectators and media from around the globe to the ëAmerican Rivieraí. The
Tour gives us global visibility because cycling is so popular
internationally. Each Stage was featured in an hour-long nightly
television show on the VERSUS cable network (7.1 million homes) and
covered in newspapers, magazines, TV, radio and electronic media. This
incredible, positive media exposure will generate continued interest, new
and repeat visitors which bring significant economic benefits for years
to come."

For complete details on all aspects of the race, visit the following
websites: www.amgentourofcalifornia.com;
www.tourofcalifornia-solvang.com; and www.TourSB.com

###
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