SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In a state with the second-most federally recognized Indigenous tribes in the country, California officials and tribal leaders announced an initiative Wednesday to drive up tourism in native communities.
The initiative, Visit Native California, and its accompanying website are funded by a $1 million grant from the American Rescue Plan Act, which targets public health and economic impacts of the pandemic and was signed into law by President Joe Biden last year. Tribes announced it in partnership with Visit California, the state’s main tourism marketing agency.
It’s one of the latest efforts to revitalize tourism nationwide after the early stage of the pandemic halted travel — and the spending that comes with it. California lost a projected $72.8 billion in tourism spending in 2020, according to research by Tourism Economics, a data and consulting firm. The goal is to inform tourists about the music, art, nature, and history that have shaped tribal communities for generations. The website will promote locations around the state, including through podcasts, and provide itineraries for travelers.
“This project, this site, it gives my tribe the opportunity, the ability to share our culture,” said Reid D. Milanovich, chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, at a press conference at the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza in Palm Springs.