Benicia's tourism efforts continue pay off with articles in national and regional publications highlighting our community. Benicia's mile long shopping district, bookended by the Carquinez Strait and Benicia City Park in the downtown core has benefitted in a big way from its tourism program of the last five years. Thanks to the tourism effort, articles from the San Francisco Chronicle, the Los Angeles Times, Sunset Magaziine, newscasts, online travel and event sites, radio programs and most recently, AAA's publication, VIA Magazine, have all featured compimentary stories about Benicia.
Jack Wolf, the City's tourism consultant, has been instrumental in garnering attention from major press outlets. What does all this mean for Benicia? It means there is increased foot traffic downtown and that merchants are seeing an uptick in business. Additionally, downtown Benicia's recent quarter sales tax revenue increased over 25% from the previous quarter.
Those who have wandered into Urban Notions, Benicia's newest downtown gift store, have reported that they love Benicia, whether it's their first visit or one of many. The charm of downtown shops, many in Victorian buildings, is undeniably appealing. The waterfront location with its scenic natural beauty is a big draw, as is the more temperate weather, the abundance of restaurants, pubs and wine bars, the scenic vistas and diversity of retail shops.
Via highlights the fact that Benicia's beautiful State Capitol, situated in the center of the shopping district, offers significant living history in our State's early development.
