Sacramento – Assemblymember Philip Y. Ting (D-San Francisco) today passed a bill that protects vital Business Improvement and Tourism Marketing Districts throughout California. The bill now heads to the Governor’s desk.
“This bill protects a decades-long practice of businesses banding together to share the costs or marketing, promotions and other business-generating activities,” Ting said today. “These business-run associations play a vital role in promoting California’s $2 trillion economy, especially our tourism industry.”
Ting’s AB 483 clarifies state law to ensure businesses can continue to assess themselves to provide marketing materials and critical services for their associations.
“AB 483 helps continue to market our cities to tourists and allows shopping districts to share the costs of things like improving parking, street lighting and security,” Ting said.
Over 200 million tourists visit California each year, spending approximately $106.4 billion at local hotels, restaurants, small businesses and attractions. The economic activity spurred by the tourism industry has helped to support 917,000 jobs and generate $6.6 billion in direct tax revenue.
Examples of these districts include San Francisco’s Tourism Improvement District, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board and Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau. Activities these organizations engage in range from global marketing campaigns to tourist services and neighborhood beautification.
Assemblymember Ting is the Chair of Assembly Democratic Caucus and the Assembly Select Committee on Asia/California Trade and Investment Promotion, and he serves on the Budget, Business, Professions and Consumer Protection, Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials and the Revenue and Taxation committees.
CONTACT: Colleen Beamish, colleen.beamish@asm.ca.gov, Office: (916) 319-2019