JEFF HENTZ TOURISM DIRECTOR The nationwide downturn in travel does not appear to be having a devastating effect on Mariposa County. Mariposa-Yosemite Tourism Bureau Director Jeff Hentz gave the board of supervisors an update on his department’s actions at Tuesday’s meeting.

Hentz said other tourist destinations like Las Vegas and Orlando continue to “suffer terribly” in this economy. Yosemite and Mariposa County, however, are holding their own. Hentz said even so, marketing efforts must continue. “We’ve certainly got our work cut out for us,” he told the board in regard to continuing to attract visitors to the area.

Overall, California occupancy rates are down, as are hotel rates as facilities try to attract visitors. Still, average daily rates have “plummeted” around the state, hurting transient occupancy tax collection in many jurisdictions.

Hentz said recently released numbers of Yosemite National Park visitors were “great news” for the local economy. There were 15 percent more visitors that used the Arch Rock entrance in October compared to last year.

Maybe more significant is the increase in bus traffic on the Highway 140 corridor. Hentz said the year-to-date increase is 99 percent. “Bus business is coming back significantly,” Hentz explained of the Mariposa corridor. It dropped dramatically after the Ferguson Rockslide limited the length of vehicles that could use the road.

Other Park entrances are not seeing the same thing. Bus business is shifting to Highway 140, with 12 percent fewer buses using the Highway 41 entrance to the Park. Highway 120 was far worse off. Bus traffic was down by 50 percent on the northern entrance to the Park. “It’s consistent with the economy,” Hentz said of fewer buses on the road altogether.

Hentz said he will continue to use a multi-media approach to reach visitors. He believes the tide is about to turn. “2011 will be one of our better years,” Hentz told the board.

Of his department’s $1.4 million budget, Hentz said some 77 percent is spent on marketing and advertising. The department’s goals continued to be to put “heads in beds,” increase the area’s market share and develop new sales channels.

To that end, Hentz said a lot of time, energy and money are spent marketing to California. The department recently produced two 30-minute television shows, one about Mariposa and one about Yosemite. They were aired in San Francisco.

The tourism bureau is also using social media to reach potential travelers. On Facebook, the bureau is “Yosemite Nation.” Hentz said he uses Twitter as well. “It’s become a very effective tool for us,” he said.

Finally, Hentz noted two important pieces of marketing that are upcoming. The California Tourism Bureau has chosen Yosemite as its cover art for its 2010 travel guide. Hentz said more than one million are distributed. Inside the guide is a Yosemite insert, as well.

The third week in January, Yosemite and Mariposa County will be the “destination of the week” on Travelzoo.com, one of the most popular travel portals in the world.