See Monterey Unveils FY2026–27 Business Plan, Launching Find Your Way Here 2.0 and Expanding Reach Into New Markets

MONTEREY, Calif., October 14, 2026 — See Monterey has released its FY2026–27 Business Plan, a launch point for the next chapter of Monterey County tourism. The plan is guided by the Monterey County Tourism 2030 (MCT 2030) strategic roadmap. For the coming year, See Monterey will expand into new markets and introduce a refreshed brand campaign, Find Your Way Here 2.0. It will also grow high-value leisure, luxury and group business, deepen its international presence, strengthen year-round events and invest in research and measurement. Throughout the work, responsible travel remains central and imperative.

The plan builds on record results. In 2025, Monterey County’s tourism economy reached new highs: overall visitor spending grew 4% to $3.3 billion, tax revenue rose 6% to $346 million and hospitality employment reached 27,760 jobs. Monterey County’s group business continues to be a bright spot. Room nights generated by See Monterey’s sales team grew 40% from 2023 to 2025, and the team closed a record year of more than 980 sales leads.

“Five years ago, we were rebuilding. Today, Monterey County’s tourism economy is generating record levels, and we’re in a position to redefine what’s possible,” said Rob O’Keefe, president and CEO of See Monterey. “With new hotel rooms, new audiences and world-class events on the horizon, this business plan sets the stage to grow the right way: thoughtfully, responsibly and in partnership with our community that makes this destination special.”

New Strategic Priorities for 2026–27

Expanding Reach with Find Your Way Here 2.0: The evolution of See Monterey’s brand campaign is designed to grow awareness and familiarity in new markets, building the demand needed to support today’s lodging inventory and the more than 1,000 additional hotel rooms expected in the coming years. The campaign is organized around three connected bodies of work:

·        Monterey Is introduces the destination as many distinct places and stories.

·        Parallel Paths shows the County’s range through playful contrasts and surprising pairings.

·        Found In is a video series that brings each jurisdiction and region to life through its people and experiences.

See Monterey will expand beyond priority fly-and drive-markets using the latest marketing technologies to reach travelers nationwide who are already planning a California trip. Expanded public relations with regional, national and international media will carry Monterey County’s narrative to new audiences, including Spanish-speaking travelers through Encuentra Tu Monterey. A growing TikTok presence will reach new and younger audiences.

Elevating Luxury: See Monterey’s Luxury Collection Initiative brings together 10 properties throughout the destination, which generate more than 26% of the County’s transient occupancy tax collections. This year, See Monterey will refresh its Seek & Find luxury campaign and create a signature culinary experience featuring top chefs, wineries and producers. It will also partner with premium outlets such as AFAR and YOLO Journal to reach affluent travelers. On the travel trade side, See Monterey will deepen its work with Virtuoso and other consortia, attend luxury trade shows such as Virtuoso Travel Week and ILTM Asia Pacific, and host luxury travel advisor activations in priority markets.

Deepening International Presence: International visitors bring strong economic value as they tend to stay longer and spend more while in the destination. See Monterey will continue to invest in its core markets of Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom. At the same time, it will lay the groundwork for targeted expansion into opportunity markets such as Western Europe and Asia Pacific, including China, South Korea and Japan.

Leveraging Marquee Events and Global Moments: See Monterey will coordinate marketing, PR, social media and partnership activations around key moments, including the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in 2027, Super Bowl LXI in Los Angeles and the road to the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It will position Monterey County as the ideal destination to extend event-related travel with pre- and post-event stays. The organization will also grow the County’s year-round event portfolio by supporting existing marquee events and pursuing new sports, culinary, arts and cultural events, so tourism stays steady across all seasons.

Growing High-Value Group Business: Group travelers spend 158% more than leisure visitors and help fill midweek and off-season periods. See Monterey will continue to target high-value meetings and C-suite decision-makers. It will also drive East Coast awareness through a culinary activation and expand group marketing in Chicago, Washington, D.C., New York City and Minneapolis. Incentives such as Inspiration Pays Off, worth up to $20,000, will encourage bookings and extended stays during need periods.

Responsible Travel on The Right Path™: Responsible travel will be embedded in nearly all visitor messaging. See Monterey will increase investment in The Right Path™ to sharpen education around unsafe and illegal behavior along the Highway 1 corridor, from Point Lobos and Bixby Bridge through Big Sur, including the Bixby parking moratorium. A new “Influence the Influencers” effort will encourage creators already posting about Monterey County, especially Highway 1 and Big Sur, to help protect the places they love.

“What makes this plan strong is the alignment among tourism businesses and the local community – all working toward the same vision,” said Janine Chicourrat, See Monterey board chair and managing director of the Portola Hotel & Spa. “We’re choosing longer, higher-value stays over sheer volume, and that intentional approach will keep Monterey County’s tourism economy delivering for businesses and residents alike.”

These initiatives advance MCT 2030’s vision: enhancing quality of place, stimulating economic development and managing tourism growth responsibly. With a budget projected to increase by about 6% in FY2026–27, See Monterey will compete on experience rather than scale, while protecting the places and communities that make Monterey County unique.

For more information, please visit SeeMonterey.com and view the FY2026–27 Business Plan HERE.

About See Monterey 
See Monterey is a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization that drives tourism for Monterey County. Tourism is the largest industry on the Monterey Peninsula and the second largest in the County. See Monterey is a partnership of the hospitality community and local governments that aims to generate community prosperity and enrich economic vitality for Monterey County through the responsible growth of the tourism economy. In 2025, travel spending in Monterey County was $3.3 billion, supporting nearly 28,000 jobs and generating $346 million in state and local tax revenue that directly benefited the community. For more information, visit SeeMonterey.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.