The Soul of Laguna: Why the TOT Tax Renewal Matters Now

In this week’s KXFM 104.7’s radio show, Ruben Flores and I are talking about this City’s tourism, arts and brand alignment. In the show’s replay (above), we dive into the heart of what makes Laguna Beach Laguna Beach – and why, with the renewal contract of the Laguna Beach Tourism Marketing District on the table – many residents are engaging more deeply in the conversation about how we move forward.
Quick background:
As part of this Marketing District discussion, the City is considering the contract renewal for Visit Laguna Beach, our current tourism marketing agency. At the same time, this District also helps fund a number of beloved local arts programs through the TOT (Transient Occupancy Tax) – a 12% tax graciously collected by our hotels from visiting guests.That’s leading to some important community questions:

• What exactly does the TOT tax support?
• How do we ensure that Laguna’s celebrated arts scene – our original brand identity as an Art Colony – remains vibrant and well-funded?
• And as Laguna continues to evolve, are the current and proposed external marketing efforts aligned with the brand we’re proud to live?

As a 30-year marketing agency owner and an obvious Laguna Beach advocate, I see both the opportunity and the responsibility here. And in this episode, Ruben and I unpack it all with heart and curiosity.

We both spotlight the real wins first.

• What’s funded by hotel visitors’ tax dollars?
• Ruben talks about three uniquely great events he attended this last weekend, all funded by our annual TOT tax. 

Then we toss into ALL SORTS of related topics around the unique coolness of Laguna Beach:

• I announce incoming Piatti’s new Chef - a Michelin starred gent! More details here:
• This week’s new Mastering Restaurant Revenue podcast episode drop between me and Bruce Russo. This is a cool one - improving restaurant Take Out Programs to help restaurants create more revenue and make “take out” a more grand and glorious event, especially for our locals.
• The Community Garden’s Annual Spring Fling Festival and Potluck is May 24th - what does it entail?
• The HUGE DOT OF RED in Laguna Canyon . . . what does it belong to and why is this a great thing?
• The Charm House Tour this weekend. We explain its longterm popular appearance and its ticketing and trolley logistics, including Ruben actually ON one of the trolleys as a tour guide.

Then, we circle back to the TOT considerations around the Visitor’s Bureau

• Why are residents raising concerns about a possible misalignment between Visit Laguna Beach and the evolving brand of our town?
• We explore community questions around proposed changes to arts funding – and what those shifts could mean for the programs that shape our heritage and cultural identity.
• With the Marketing District’s contract renewal on the table before the June 10th vote, we offer a few thoughtful reflections on how branding, arts support and city priorities can move forward together.

See BestofLagunaBeach.com for a deeper dive and be a part of community comments.