2009 STATE VISITORS’ GUIDE HIGHLIGHTS CALIFORNIA’S WONDERS

01-09-2009

SACRAMENTO, Calif.) – The California Travel & Tourism Commission (CTTC) just released its 2009 California Official State Visitor’s Guide and Travel Planner, a free comprehensive guide to inspire consumers and help them plan their next California getaway.

“We’ve designed this guide to be as irresistible as a glossy travel magazine, yet as practical as a detailed guidebook,” announced Caroline Beteta, CTTC president & chief executive officer and chair for the Travel Industry Association. “Filled with new trip ideas and must-sees, and illustrated with gorgeous photography and detailed maps, the guide delivers compelling articles highlighting California’s wonders, while still providing the critical information visitors need when planning every facet of their Golden State vacation.”

The annual publication, distributed free to visitors around the world, celebrates California’s breathtaking beaches and mountains, lush wine country, abundant farmlands, dramatic deserts, and dynamic and diverse cities. Each page reveals where locals go to discover, enjoy and play throughout the state, making the 2009 California Official State Visitor’s Guide and Travel Planner the essential travel tool for exploring California’s 12 distinct regions, each with its own unique character and attractions.

New this year, are more tie-ins between the 2009 California Official State Visitor’s Guide and Travel Planner and CTTC’s Web site, www.VisitCalifornia.com. Through the use of keywords, readers can find expanded or related content on the site, allowing a more streamlined, “greener” approach, with fewer listings appearing in the actual guide, but showcased instead on the CTTC Web site.

Visitors needing basic California travel information will find it all in the guide. The 2009 visitor’s guide also features a “California Travel Basics” section, which includes details on how to use the guide, California Welcome Centers^SM, statewide resources and travel information.

The 224-page guide, created in conjunction with Sunset Custom Media Solutions, a division of Sunset Publishing, features a cover photograph of the iconic coastal California experience: a relaxed group enjoying a perfect evening at breathtaking Huntington Beach, in “The O.C.”

The guide’s popular “My California” profiles are back this year, with six new personalities, including skateboarding superstar Tony Hawk and world-renowned choreographer Alonzo King, sharing their passion for the California lifestyle.

The California Official State Visitor’s Guide and Travel Planner also includes the pullout 2009 California Official State Map, detailing routes, cities, and key attractions throughout Northern and Southern California, and also features localized maps on major urban areas. The map includes new trip ideas and itineraries with great suggestions for romantic getaways, family travel, shopping and easy ways to indulge.

Copies of the free guide and map are available now and can be obtained by calling 1-877-CALIFORNIA. Both of the publications will be available digitally by the end of January 2009 at www.VisitCalifornia.com. The technology, provided by NxtBook, allows users to turn pages, search, make notes, and click through to advertisers’ Web sites. CTTC has also provided a convenient ordering interface on the site so that users can order single or bulk versions of the piece.

The CTTC is a non-profit organization with a mission to develop and maintain marketing programs—in partnership with the state's travel industry—that keep California top-of-mind as a premier travel destination. According to the CTTC, travel and tourism expenditures total $96.7 billion annually in California, support jobs for 924,100 Californians and generate $5.8 billion in state and local tax revenues. For more information about the CTTC, visit www.VisitCalifornia.com.

 

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