When travel agents met in New York last year for their annual International Pow Wow convention, Henry Segerstrom was on hand.
Segerstrom was there to represent South Coast Plaza. But he also was on hand to promote something else: the R & #233;nee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, which is set to open in the fall.
Segerstrom and tourism officials hope the theater will be a draw in its own right, luring arts lovers from afar to see Placido Domingo or Richard Wagner’s “Ring of the Nibelung.”
“Having a world-class performing arts district will open up the possibility for families to spend more time here,” said Thomas Smalley, president of the Costa Mesa Conference and Visitor Bureau and general manager of the nearby Wyndham Hotel.
Some 118 million people nationally visit a historic or cultural spot on vacations, according to the Travel Industry Association of America in Washington, D.C.
“We at South Coast Plaza see the cultural travelers pointing themselves in our direction,” said Werner Escher, executive director of domestic and international markets for South Coast Plaza.
Dennis Szakacs, director of the Orange County Museum of Art in Newport Beach and a New York transplant, said he’s run into former colleagues at galleries he’s visited here.
“Absolutely, people are traveling for cultural events,” he said.
The county’s museums and galleries could benefit from well-heeled visitors coming to the county’s lavish coastal hotels.
More people have been coming to the county’s mainstay cultural draws, something backers say is helped in part by tourists.
Laguna Beach’s annual Festival of Arts and Pageant of Masters saw record attendance last year.
“The Pageant and Festival have always been appealing to tourists,” spokeswoman Sharbie Higuchi said. “It was created in 1932 with the hope of drawing tourists who attended the Olympics in Los Angeles and publicized as a post-Olympic event.”
The challenge is in getting the word out, said Rick Weinberg, spokesman for Bowers Museum of Cultural Art in Santa Ana.
“It’s imperative if you want to grow your numbers to make sure everyone who comes to town knows about your (facility),” he said.
Sports Tourists
Sports can be an even bigger draw. An estimated 75 million Americans attend a sports event while they’re on the road.
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim lure die-hard fans who travel to see their favorite teams or those who try and see as many parks and arenas as possible. Playoffs and championship games bring even more visitors.
Sports tourism is a “powerhouse,” said Tim Schneider, publisher of SportsTravel Magazine and organizer of the annual Travel, Events and Management in Sports conference.
Professional sports are glitzy, but amateur and youth competitions bring even more money from visitors.
Irvine works to bring youth and amateur sports groups to town, according to Destination Irvine’s director of tourism Firoozeh Tahmassebi.
Sporting events help fill the city hotels on weekends, which usually clear out when weekday business travelers head home.
“We’re not a typical weekend getaway city,” Tahmassebi said.
This year, 80 to 100 roller hockey teams are coming to town, Tahmassebi said.
Huntington Beach grabs the lion’s share of local surfing, volleyball, skating and BMX biking competitions, hosting dozens of beach events each year.
Anaheim has hosted everything from Olympic gymnastic trials and world badminton finals to the World Series and NHL Stanley Cup games.
Earlier this year, Anaheim hosted a round of the inaugural World Baseball Classic. The city is set to get a new NBA Developmental League team at the Anaheim Arena. And talks with the National Football League continue for an Anaheim team.
“We could be the first city (of our size) to have all four major professional sports,” Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle said in a recent TV interview.
The USA Men’s National Volleyball Team in February agreed to make Anaheim its home through 2012.
In September, Walt Disney Co. is bringing a marathon to Anaheim with the Disneyland Half Marathon weekend.
About 12,000 runners have signed on.
Family Plan
If there’s a tourism segment to be mined, Walt Disney Co. will do so.
The Burbank-based company’s “Magical Gatherings” targets families getting together for reunions or just vacationing together.
The travel package lets families set up private meals, photo sessions, hotel rooms and activities online before they arrive in Anaheim.
Others are courting families, too.
Knott’s Berry Farm Resort Hotel next to the Buena Park theme park has a Snoopy floor for families with small fry.
Montage Resort & Spa in Laguna Beach has a daily arts and activity program called Paintbox for kids 5 to 12. Teens have their own events.
The St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa runs the Sandcastle Kids Club weekdays and Friday evenings.
,Sandi Cain
