ACCORDING TO DATA RELEASED BY SMITH TRAVEL RESEARCH, THE LODGING INDUSTRY IN SANTA CRUZ HAS SEEN AN INCREASE IN OCCUPANCY OF ALMOST 4-PERCENT AND AN AVERAGE DAILY RATE INCREASE OF OVER 5-PERCENT IN 2013. COMPARED TO A STATE AVERAGE OF 71-PERCENT, THE COUNTY HIT A MILE-POST OF 63-PERCENT IN OVER-ALL OCCUPANCY, A FIGURE NOT SEEN SINCE THE YEAR 2000. THE FUNDS GENERATED BY THE RECENTLY FORMED TOURISM MARKETING DISTRICT HAVE ENABLED THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY CONFERENCE AND VISITORS COUNCIL TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE IN ADVERTISING, THUS INCREASING SUMMER, AND, NON-SUMMER MONTH OCCUPANCY.
