Costa Mesa OKs hotel fee hike

Andrew Glazer

COSTA MESA -- In an effort to bring more visitors to the city, the City

Council allowed a group promoting tourism to double the amount of money

it collects from each hotel guest.

The Costa Mesa Tourism and Promotion Council will charge city hotel and

motel guests an additional 2% of their overnight stay.

The money will go toward advertising the city as a tourist destination in

trade publications and in-flight magazines, said Joseph A. Bann,

president of the tourism council.

“We need to be aggressive moving into the new millennium as cities around

us are attracting tourists,” Bann told the council Monday.

He said the group also plans to hire a salesman to pitch the city as a

destination to tour operators, travel agents and at trade shows.

Last year, the tourism council raised more than $511,000. It anticipates

the fee will raise twice as much money next year, according to a report

prepared by city staff.