El Dorado supervisors must support local marketing efforts for Apple Hill, small businesses | Opinion

Generations of families visit our Apple Hill farms each year: People from around the world discover our incredible wineries and indulge in our farm-to-fork restaurants; adventurers raft our rivers, ski our mountains and hike our trails; and history buffs get the Gold Rush treatment at our museums and parks.

Yet a recent decision by the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors to do away with Visit El Dorado, a county entity with a sole mission to bring visitors — and their wallets — to our area, is shortsighted. In essence, they’ve decided to eliminate a reliable source of income for the county.

The El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce has contracted with the county to promote tourism countywide for more than 30 years. Visit El Dorado has its own advisory council, consumer website and marketing initiatives, including contractors who manage social media and media relations, with a total annual budget of $279,378. The entity supports one full time employee, the executive director of tourism, and a few part time positions that support the visitor information center and help with distributing marketing materials. When the county’s decision goes into effect on July 1, that all goes away.

Money spent by tourists in El Dorado County helps fund our roads, healthcare and emergency services, benefiting visitors and residents alike. Those dollars create long-term economic stability, better public resources and community programs, which enhance residents’ quality of life. Tourism businesses create jobs for thousands of our neighbors, including agriculture.

Beyond those important financial impacts, tourism helps preserve our region’s rich history and natural beauty. Our state parks, museums, and historic sites are well maintained because of tourism dollars. Responsible tourism marketing initiatives also promote environmental conservation, ensuring that our forests, lakes, and trails remain pristine for future generations of residents and visitors.

According to Visit California, visitors to El Dorado County in 2024 spent $1.1 billion. They generate more than $110.7 in local tax revenue and support careers for more than 14,400 of our residents. Without those visitors, billions of dollars and thousands of jobs will disappear.

Visit El Dorado is the firepower in this economic engine. It works by attracting investments, events, meetings and tourists who create jobs and boost revenue for the local economy. Eliminating this entity may seem like a quick fix for the county’s budget problems, but the investment in tourism is an investment in our future prosperity.

In addition to being one of the founders of Apple Hill, my father, Edio Delfino, served as the county agriculture commissioner for more than 30 years. He believed that we must constantly improve engagement efforts with the community and our visitors.

My parents started their farm in 1964. Today, my four children — the third generation of Delfinos — are bringing innovations to the farm and adding a tasting room for their traditional hard ciders and new vintage wines. We would never have been able to continually evolve and grow our business without the support of visitors who come up each season for fruit, baked goods, wine and, most importantly, to make memories with their own families.

When marketing efforts stop, it can take years to recover lost visitor numbers, business closures and reputation damage. The importance of Visit El Dorado has been reinforced time and again, most recently through the pandemic and recent wildfires.

Our county is made up on small businesses, and they rely on the efforts of Visit El Dorado to drive traffic to our community. Without a destination marketing organization’s advertisement and networking efforts, these businesses will lose valuable exposure and struggle to survive, and those critical tourist dollars will just go somewhere else.

I encourage local leaders and residents to continue supporting and promoting tourism as a pillar of our economy and identity. Let’s celebrate what makes our destination unique and ensure that its benefits are shared by everyone for generations to come.