O.C. Tourism Industry Not Expecting to See Much of Democrats

While Orange County’s tourism industry yawns at the mention of next month’s Democratic National Convention in downtown Los Angeles, the event will give at least one local hotel an added jolt of business.

The Hilton Anaheim will play host to the United Auto Workers, which will take up to 150 rooms for as long as 10 days. The draw? The Hilton is not only the largest hotel in the Southland--and one the UAW has used in the past--it’s also one of only three big unionized hotels in the county.

Most local hotels aren’t expecting much convention business. Nor are most local tourist attractions expecting--or even soliciting--attention from the thousands of delegates, staff, lobbyists and journalists descending on Los Angeles.

Except, ironically, the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace in Yorba Linda.

The library honoring the former Republican president will offer free admission--a $5.95 savings--to card-carrying Democratic delegates and up to three of their guests, said library spokeswoman Evie Lazzarino.

The pitch: “It’s never too late to turn over a new leaf.”

At the very least, she said, Democrats could check out the library’s collection of First Lady Barbies and dolls of two potentials, Tipper Gore and Laura Bush. Of course, the visitors may be more interested in Nixon’s tapes.

Some in tourism worry that the Aug. 14-17 political extravaganza will have a negative impact on business, driving off locals and keeping all other outsiders away just as the 1984 Summer Olympics did.

“We wouldn’t be surprised to see tourism down for that week or two-week period,” said Bob Ochsner, a spokesman for Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, who informally polled some of the region’s tourist draws and hotels and found none that were planning special programs or promotions to try to attract folks who’ll be in Los Angeles for the convention.

One problem is that political conventioneers are a serious-minded bunch who don’t pencil in much time for frivolity, Orange County’s tourism insiders say.

Seaworld Adventure Park in San Diego will run its usual advertisements in Orange and Los Angeles counties, but is making no special pitch to conventioneers, spokeswoman Darla Davis said.

The Hilton Anaheim, however, has been hustling. When the hotel got a tip that the UAW was looking for rooms, its saleswoman sprang into action, spokesman Patrick Hynes said, and “sold them on our hotel.” The union status was part of the pitch, he said.

“We needed the business,” said Hynes, noting that his hotel has 1,572 rooms and suites. “That’s a lot of rooms to sell every night of the year.”

And while few are expecting that convention-goers will head south during their visit to Los Angeles, Orange County’s Democrats have been jostling to ensure themselves a place in Los Angeles. Never mind the convention; what many of them are looking forward to is an Aug. 15 shindig at the Playboy Mansion, a fund-raiser for Latinos featuring Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove).

“That’s what everybody’s talking about,” said Michael Ray, a Democratic activist from Laguna Beach. “That’s definitely the hottest ticket going.”