In the heart of Orange County lies the quaint city of Costa Mesa (“coastal table” in Spanish) boasting a unique array of sidewalk cafés, bistros, and trendy reservation only restaurants. Known as the “the city of the arts” and located 35 miles from Los Angeles; it is also home to the internationally acclaimed South Coast Plaza, Orange County Performing Arts Center, Segerstrom Center for the Arts and South Coast Repertory. A local organization, Costa Mesa Conference & Visitor Bureau, works to market the city as an ideal destination spot for travelers through a website called Travel Costa Mesa.
Travel Costa Mesa enlists the help of social media tools like Twitter and Facebook to market Costa Mesa. The website features a variety of accoutrements for travelers – including visitor’s guides, dining guides, local recreation, and an exclusive look into the premiere shopping mecca, South Coast Plaza. Social Media has also helped them increase familiarity amongst locals and brought traffic back to their website. Their favored tool of choice, Twitter, has been helpful to promote their “Drive & Dine Program” which allows visitors to receive a $25 travel reimbursement, $20 dining certificate and a South Coast Plaza VIP passport full of offers from leading retailers when they book this offer at one of Costa Mesa's ten hotels. Locals and travelers alike can also follow on Twitter and Facebook for upcoming promos to win dining certificates.
In March, Travel Costa Mesa is launching a Facebook promo for an ideal Costa Mesa getaway. Entrants must choose a hotel and restaurant (including the meal they would like to be served) and design their ultimate vacation. The most creative entry will win their exact vacation as described and all entrants will get a $20 dining certificate.
“As a once-twitter skeptic myself, it has been fascinating to watch consumers familiarize themselves and interact with our brand as a result of social media. I have thoroughly enjoyed becoming immersed in such a collaborative environment and it's been awesome to witness the growth of excitement about Travel Costa Mesa throughout the local community." says Debbie Miller, Information Systems Coordinator at Costa Mesa Conference & Visitor Bureau who also tweets here.
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