The City of Santa Clarita’s Economic Development Division recently completed an economic impact survey as part of the 2006 Santa Clarita Marathon and ancillary events (including the Half Marathon and Kid K), and found that 71 percent of surveyed event participants live outside the Santa Clarita Valley. The survey also revealed that 69 percent of surveyed attendees spent up to $100 per day in Santa Clarita. When asked about other activities enjoyed while in Santa Clarita, 31 percent indicated they enjoyed family dining, 37 percent spent time shopping locally and 12 percent enjoyed time at Six Flags Magic Mountain.

“We were thrilled to confirm that one of our signature events is also a major tourism opportunity for the City, said Mayor Marsha McLean. This year’s marathon attracted local, regional and national participants. We saw runners from California communities like Alta Dena, Thousand Oaks, Escondido, Azusa and Lompoc, but also welcomed participants from Wisconsin, Nevada, Florida, Illinois and Utah. Events like the Marathon are ideal because they attract visitors who enjoy a healthy lifestyle, and allow participants to get out and enjoy our City’s unique amenities and distinct natural beauty,” she added.

The City obtained 191 responses as part of the Marathon outreach, totaling 411 attendees. With an estimated attendance of 2,800 in this year’s events, this provided a sample size of 15 percent.

Additional highlights from the survey include:

· the primary demographic was a middle-aged group ranging from 36-60 years of age from outside the Santa Clarita Valley

· 54 percent of the attendees were male and 46 percent were female

· of the out of town attendees surveyed, 11 percent stayed in Santa Clarita hotels, 13 percent stayed with friends and relatives while the remainder of those surveyed not stay overnight or did specify lodging arrangements.

The Economic Development Division uses economic impact surveys to garner a better understanding of event attendees, including details about where they are visiting from, age, gender and what they enjoy while in Santa Clarita. And division is focused on supporting existing tourism events and attracting new opportunities, these surveys are a key component of the City’s retention and attraction effort.

2007 is poised to be a banner year for the City with regard to sports tourism with AMGEN Tour of California coming to Santa Clarita on Saturday, February 24, 2007.

The AT&T Classic will also return to Santa Clarita March 12-18, 2007, followed by the annual Santa Clarita Marathon in November.

For additional information about the economic impact survey, please contact the City of Santa Clarita’s Tourism Office at (661) 286-4084.

12-24-06