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Photo from Travel Paso.
Alex Villacana, Owner of Villacana Winery, Elected Chairman of the Board of Directors
– In the year Travel Paso’s board of directors recently elected and named Alex Villacana as its chairman to begin the 2022-2023 fiscal year, which began July 1. He is the owner and founder of Willicana Winery and Discover Re:Distillery.
Villacana’s appointment marks the first time Paso has elected a chairman from outside the lodging industry. He is a long-time member of the Travel Paso board, having previously served as treasurer and most recently as secretary. Villicana replaced John Arnold, who had effectively led the outbreak. Arnold, general manager of the Paso Robles Holiday Inn Express & Suites, will continue to serve on the board.
“I am honored to assume the chairmanship at such an auspicious and exciting time for Gozo Paso,” said Villikana. “Coming from the beverage side, my choice is a testament to Travel Paso’s commitment to working with our city’s diverse industries and thought leaders to ensure Paso Robles continues to grow as a top tourism destination.”
Three new officers were also elected. Margaret Johnson of Paso Robles Inn and Martin Resorts serves as vice chairman; Angela McKee, general manager of Best Western Plus Black Oak, will serve as treasurer. and Victor Popp will serve as secretary to the general manager of La Quinta Inn & Suites. In addition, three new members were elected to the nine-member board: Jill Alexander, assistant property manager at Paso Market Walk; Chance Jorgensen, general manager of the Oxford Collection; and Kaitlin Walton, Regional VP, Operations and Sales for Sun Communities.
The Travel Paso Marketing Committee has grown its membership to 19 from 14, making it the largest committee in Travel Paso’s history. The Marketing Committee advises the Board on Guzo Paso’s marketing goals and campaigns. By design, its members represent Paso Robles’ diverse tourism ecosystem, and include professionals from the lodging, beverage, events and tour industries.
The non-profit marketing organization announced its resort members and the Paso Robles City Council renewed the Paso Robles Tourism Improvement District (PRTID) for 10 years.
PRTID is a public-private partnership that uses a residential assessment to fund Travel Paso. The city collects the assessment from lodge members and distributes the money to travel paso. Tourists staying at Paso hotels, RV parks and vacation rentals will ultimately fund the assessment. The Paso Robles City Council unanimously approved the renewal on June 7.
“Tourism is a key economic driver in our community and enhances the quality of life for all residents. This long-term renovation confirms our community’s great support for tourism and allows us to continue to market our wonderful destination,” said Stacey Jacobs, Executive Director of Travel Paso. It was essential to recovery from the pandemic and will continue to be key to future successes.”
As Jacobs announced in May, Paso Robles continues to see record-breaking visitor numbers and unprecedented tourist-generated lodging tax revenues.
Tourist lodging revenue is collected through the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), which is paid directly to guests by each hotel, RV resort, and vacation rental. The tax revenues are separate from PRTID. They supplement the general fund and are used to support a number of city services, including parks and recreation, libraries, street improvements, and police and fire departments.
From March 2021 to April 2022 (latest data), each month saw record revenues, according to Travel Paso. In July 2021 and April 2022, TOT paid $1 million, thanks in part to targeted marketing campaigns for Travel Paso. As of March 2021, it has generated nearly $9 million in tourist revenue, a record for the city of Paso Robles.
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