California Travel Association (CalTravel)

02/13/2026

Wow! What a week we just had on the San Francisco Peninsula!

Over the last four days, nearly 150 travel and tourism leaders made their way to the Bay for our board meeting and board retreat. Together, we learned, got inspired, and built new connections. And in true CalTravel fashion, we checked off some fun too!

- Hearing expert insights on air travel, mega events, restaurant innovations, and more

- Being inspired by the life story and career of veteran politician Jackie Speier

- Interacting with exotic animals at San Francisco Zoo & Gardens

- Touring the hangars of San Francisco International Airport

- Wine pairing (and playing!) with San Francisco Wine School

- Exploring the historic manor and formal gardens of Filoli

- Enjoying a delicious 100% plant-based meal at Twelvemonth

- Strategizing and sharing ideas in a workshop with Coraggio Group

A big thank you to those who joined us, our destination host The San Francisco Peninsula, and all our amazing partners who made this event possible. We’re so grateful to have such engaged members, and we look forward to creating many more amazing experiences for you!

01/29/2026

Are you a Disney fanatic, a sports enthusiast, a luxury lover, or a thrill seeker? If so, we have a vacation package up for auction that will have you packing your bags faster than you can say “Mickey Mouse”!

Grab your three favorite people and embark on an unforgettable journey through Anaheim, complete with a luxurious stay in a Presidential Suite, dinner at Disneyland’s exclusive Club 33, VIP tickets to a sporting event, a helicopter ride over the Pacific, and more!

This vacation package—generously donated by our friends at Visit Anaheim—is truly priceless, but the starting bid is just $3,500. That’s a steal!

And it’s for a good cause, too. All proceeds will benefit California Travel Association, the nonprofit advocacy organization that protects and advances California’s travel and tourism industry.

Online bidding is open now through February 11 at 12:00pm (PST).

View package details or bid now: https://bit.ly/3OaJa34

01/22/2026

Last call for Wild Networking tickets!

Do you live in the Bay Area, love animals, and want to build more connections with travel and tourism professionals? If so, we invite you to join us for an exciting pop-up networking event at San Francisco Zoo & Gardens on February 9.

Enjoy exclusive animal interactions, tasty appetizers, refreshing drinks, and live music—all while mixing and mingling with industry peers.

Tickets are available through EOD tomorrow, January 23. Click the link below to reserve yours today!

https://bit.ly/45rOULQ

12/02/2025

Giving Tuesday—a global day of generosity—is finally here!

Why give to our Giving Tuesday effort? Every dollar raised will help fund a scholarship for a college student pursuing a career in travel, tourism, or hospitality at a California university.

These scholarships are an investment in future leaders—one that helps them stay excited about a career in tourism and build connections as they prepare to enter the workforce.

So, please consider joining us in paying it forward this Giving Tuesday. Even small gifts can make a big impact!

Learn more or give today: https://www.caltravel.org/giving-tuesday

See the impact your gift makes: https://www.caltravel.org/scholarship-stories

11/24/2025

Join us in paying it forward on Tuesday, December 2.

Every dollar raised from CalTravel's Giving Tuesday will help fund a scholarship for a college student pursuing a career in travel, tourism, or hospitality at a California college or university. These scholarships are an investment in future leaders—one that helps them stay excited about a career in tourism and build connections as they prepare to enter the workforce.

But don’t just take our word for it. Hear it from the scholarship winners themselves!

“Attending the CalTravel Summit on scholarship helped me discover the part of the industry that genuinely excites me. The professionals I met took the time to guide me, support me, and help me envision my post-grad path. I’m incredibly grateful to CalTravel for giving me the opportunity to truly feel like a young professional in the travel world.”
– Sabrina O'Connor, Hospitality & Tourism Management, San Diego State University

“Attending the CalTravel Summit was an incredible experience that expanded my knowledge of the industry and expanded my network in meaningful ways. I’m so grateful to the CalTravel and the Mike Gallagher Scholarship for making it possible, and to the inspiring professionals who shared their insights and encouragement throughout the event. The Summit solidified my understanding of just how collaborative, innovative, and passionate the travel and hospitality community truly is.”
– Rebecca Lutton, Sustainable Hospitality & Tourism Management, California State University, Monterey Bay

“All Summit long, I kept saying this was by far the best conference I’ve ever attended. The incredible speakers, Emerging Leaders Lounge, and creative excursions created such a positive and inspiring environment. The opportunities for connection were abundant; I’ve been able to meet with two industry professionals and a fellow scholarship winner since the Summit, and I can’t thank CalTravel enough for starting those conversations!”
– Fiona Gmeiner, Hospitality & Tourism Management, San Diego State University

To learn more about our Giving Tuesday effort, or to give today, click here: https://www.caltravel.org/giving-tuesday

11/19/2025

You give. We give.

You’ve probably been seeing a lot of posts about Giving Tuesday—December 2—a global day of generosity. We know there are many worthy causes to give to, but we wanted to highlight one that will continue to pay it forward.

Every dollar raised will go toward a scholarship for a California college student pursuing a career in travel, tourism, or hospitality. These scholarships help students stay excited about a career in tourism and build connections as they prepare to enter the workforce.

Thank you to those who have given early; you’ve already helped make a big dent in our goal!

Visit our campaign page to learn more or give today: https://www.caltravel.org/giving-tuesday

11/14/2025

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of hosting our first-ever pop-up networking event—an evening yacht cruise on the Marina del Rey harbor. These types of events allow us to bring the industry together throughout the year to catch up with friends, build new connections, and have a little fun along the way!

Thank you to everyone who came out to mix and mingle. And a big thank you to City Cruises and Marina del Rey Tourism Board for partnering with us to bring this event to life!

11/12/2025

Giving Tuesday—a global day of giving back—is just a few weeks away! This year, CalTravel is joining the worldwide movement to help ensure a bright future for California's tourism industry.

Every dollar raised will go toward a scholarship for a California college student pursuing a career in travel, tourism, or hospitality. These scholarships help engage students early on, to keep them excited about the path they’ve chosen, immerse them in the industry, and help them build connections as they prepare to enter the workforce.

So, please mark your calendars and consider investing in future tourism leaders this Giving Tuesday.

To learn more about our Giving Tuesday effort, or to give today, click here: https://www.caltravel.org/giving-tuesday

02/07/2025

Earlier this week, 120 members made their way to the City by the Bay for our Winter Board Meeting. Thank you to everyone who braved the rain to learn, network, and exchange ideas in San Francisco. We hope you found the two days to be informative, memorable, and fun!

Thank you to Cassandra Costello and the entire team at San Francisco Travel Association as well as outstanding speakers Tyler Florence and Ned Segal, and our many destination partners including Hotel Nikko, Club Fugazi, Chase Center, Big Bus Tours, Waymo, Original Joe's, and Miller & Lux for being such gracious hosts. San Francisco is a beacon of creativity, innovation, and resilience. And despite some initial rain, the city truly shined!

View the full photo gallery here: https://bit.ly/42NnCiy

10/26/2023

Yesterday, CalTravel had the honor of attending the Travel & Tourism Marketing Association (TTMA) annual Awards Luncheon, where CalTravel board member Javier Cano, Vice President and Market General Manager of the Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott L.A. LIVE, was presented with the Anastasia K. Mann Leadership Award. The Petersen Automotive Museum also received the Landmark Award.

It was so nice to reconnect with industry friends and celebrate Javier’s accomplishments. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition, Javier!

10/10/2023

An unexpectedly strong September Jobs report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics surprised most economists this month. 336,000 jobs were created in September, nearly doubling most predictions.

With the previous three months having slowed down considerably in job creation, many of felt the economy had hit a plateau. But August was adjusted upward by 40,000 followed by this month's strong results.

Leisure and hospitality gained 96,000 jobs; government added 73,000; health care rose by 41,000; professional, scientific, and technical services grew by 29,000; social assistance increased by 25,000; and transportation and housing changed little, but jumped by 9,000 nonetheless. Employment showed little change over the month in other major industries, including mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; construction; manufacturing; wholesale trade; retail trade; financial activities; and other services. These sectors have been doing well, and their no-change status is better than many prognosticators predicted.

All in all, the job market continues its historic march. And it’s not out of blockbusters yet, either.

08/03/2023

Following another year of tremendous growth, change, and innovation in our industry, we are proud to announce the winners of the 2023 CalTravel Awards, which recognize extraordinary individuals and organizations whose leadership efforts have significantly impacted the travel and tourism industry in California.

The awards will be presented at the 40th annual CalTravel Summit in Monterey September 19-21, 2023.

Please join us as we celebrate the accomplishments of individuals from San Francisco Travel Association, Newport Beach & Company, Visit Greater Palm Springs, Travelzoo, Visit Oxnard, Sonoma County Tourism, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Civitas, San Diego Tourism Authority, Santa Monica Travel & Tourism, Destination Analysts, Inc, Visit Rancho Cordova, Visit Yosemite | Madera County, The San Francisco Peninsula, Visit Laguna Beach, and Visit Concord, CA.

Click the link below to view the full list of 2023 CalTravel Award recipients. We know their stories will inspire you as much as they’ve inspired us!

August 3, 2023 Following another year of tremendous growth, change, and innovation in our industry, we are proud to announce the winners of the 2023 CalTravel Awards, which recognize extraordinary individuals and organizations whose leadership efforts have significantly impacted the travel and tou