Daily Business Report-May 6, 2016
Universal Studios’ ‘Wizarding World of Harry Potter’ is considered a threat to San Diego tourism. The attraction includes Hogwarts Castle, which houses Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. (Photo: Wikipedia)
New LA Tourist Attractions Threaten
To Undermine San Diego’s Tourism Industry
New tourist attractions in Los Angeles and Anaheim are posing a threat to the continued growth of San Diego’s tourism industry and its impact on the region’s overall economy, according to tourism officials speaking at the annual meeting of the San Diego Tourism Authority on Wednesday.
While San Diego’s tourism numbers have risen steadily over the past two years, tourism officials warned of threats on the horizon that could stymie the region’s ability to keep pace with competing visitor destinations such as Los Angeles and Anaheim.
In both Los Angeles and Anaheim, blockbuster attractions have recently opened or are under development. At Universal Studios in Los Angeles, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter debuted last month to tens of thousands of fans, while just down the way in Anaheim, the Disneyland Resort is moving forward with its colossal 14-acre Star Wars Land.
“The tourism landscape is more competitive than ever,” said Joe Terzi, president and CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority. “These new attractions, combined with enormous tourism marketing budgets for nearby destinations and attractions, pose a threat to San Diego’s market share and our ability to grow San Diego’s second largest traded economy.”
“The importance of tourism to our region’s economy and our prosperity cannot be overstated,” said Mark Cafferty, president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, who spoke at the annual meeting. “And because tourism is highly competitive, we must continue to tell our story to attract visitors and businesses from across the globe.”
Tourism officials said two proposed ballot measures — the so-called Citizens plan and the Chargers stadium plan — threaten to reduce the amount of funding for tourism marketing while significantly increasing the hotel tax rate to fund a stadium. Leaders from the local tourism economy have long pushed for an expansion of the existing bayside convention center because current and potential clients have expressed their strong preference for a single contiguous facility to serve their needs.
To keep San Diego competitive, the SDTA in January launched a $10 million advertising campaign that targets several major U.S. cities, as well as Canada and the United Kingdom. It includes television spots, as well as print, digital and billboard advertising. In addition, the SDTA recently launched its latest installment of “Guides to the Good Stuff,” an online video series that spotlights San Diego’s exciting nightlife, internationally-acclaimed craft breweries, diverse cross-border culinary scene and local food offerings at Petco Park.
“The tourism economy here employs one in every eight San Diegans and generates hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue,” said Terzi. “To keep San Diego competitive, we can’t afford to lose one dime of tourism marketing funds. Whether you’re selling cars, computers or visitor destinations, marketing and advertising are vital to your success and survival.”
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General Atomics to Display Predator
Drone to Technological Show in Madrid
The SENER engineering firm, along with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., will be at UNVEX 2016 in Madrid, Spain offering information about the San Diego company’s remotely piloted aircraft system Predator B, recently purchased by the Spanish Armed Forces. A one-sixth scale model of Predator B will be on a stand shared by both companies.
Chris Ames, General Atomics Aeronautical’s regional vice president of Europe, will deliver a presentation in the morning on May 25, in the session on defense and security applications, where he will discuss remotely piloted aircraft system missions and capabilities.
The SENER Group is a General Atomics technological partner for integrating the Predator B in Spain, as well as for providing the support during the life cycle of the program, as required by the Spanish Air Force. It also is envisaged that SENER will produce and support elements of the Predator B series by virtue of the industrial cooperation plan between Spanish industry and General Atomics Aeronautical.
Air Force Eyes Takeoff, Landing
Platform for General Atomics Reaper
ExecutiveBiz
The U.S. Air Force plans to integrate a system with the General Atomics-built MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle that will work to help the UAV perform take off and land automatically, Flightglobal reported Wednesday.
Chris Pehrson, senior director of strategic development for General Atomics’ aeronautical systems business, told Flightglobal reporter James Drew that the auto takeoff and landing platform for Reapers is now ready for deployment.
He added that the service branch has included the plan to implement the system into its five-year program for the drone for fiscal year 2017 after Congress declined to approve a request to field the system with funds from other accounts in 2015.
Air Force Col. Travis Burdine, division chief for remotely piloted aircraft operations at the Defense Department, said the integration of the system with the UAV would help facilitate training of Reaper pilots and provide access to more runways.
“It would allow us to go to other airfields, which we’re serious about, and not have to divert because of weather so often,” Burdine said at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International-hosted Xponential conference Tuesday in New Orleans.
County to Open New Fleet Service
Facility Today in Kearny Mesa
The county will celebrate the grand opening of its new Fleet Service Facility today on the ground floor of a new 320,000-square-foot building at the County Operations Center in Kearny Mesa. The event is at 12:30 p.m. at 5610 Overland Ave.
The Fleet Service Facility occupies the firs two stories of the six-level parking garage that will open for public parking in mid-June.
County officials said the new maintenance facility allows Fleet Management to efficiently equip, deploy and maintain a fleet of more than 4,000 vehicles ranging from fire trucks and patrol vehicles to hybrid cars. The project’s completion also paves the way for construction of the San Diego Regional Crime Lab at the site of the old fleet facility.
Fleet Management owns and operates one of the largest government vehicle fleets in California. The new site features modern vehicle lift equipment, two work bays designated for one-hour preventive maintenance service, a state-of-the-art exhaust gas removal system, and an auto parts distribution center.
