Article by Mike Selvon

It has been said that those who are considering vacation travel to the great, golden state of California really have an underlying desire to “be Californians,” even if it’s only for the brief time that they are vacationing there. As a result, more and more potential California vacationers are looking to the state’s completely redesigned travel and tourism website to help them learn all about becoming a “temporary Californian.”

The state of California has an official department, or commission, that is structured to help promote and encourage people to travel throughout the vast state to take in all of the sights and wonders of the many tourist attraction destinations. It is the California Travel and Tourism Commission, or CTTC, which began promoting the idea of calling vacation travel visitors “Honorary Californians.”

The essential idea of this nomenclature is to encourage tourists to do much more than just visit the various tourist destinations. Instead, the California Travel and Tourism Commission wants vacationers to embrace the full experience of California’s easygoing, laid-back lifestyle and soak up the culture just like a local.

The CTTC has put together an extensive website. The impressive online presence is an attempt to compete aggressively for the attention of those planning to travel and who are looking for vacation ideas, for the ideal family vacation and great tourist destinations. They have provided an online tourism and travel guide that is intended to help potential visitors to the state to fall in love with the destination even before they arrive.

The CTTC website has gone a long way in accomplishing this goal by giving the website visitor a great deal of information about the “must see” tourist attraction options, as well as highlighting the many world renowned landmarks around the state. And, if that were not enough, there is also extensive revelations about “inside scoops” that further give people insights about where to go and what to see to make the vacation travel visitor feel even more connected and like a Californian, honorary or not.

And, true to the very image of style, fun and uniqueness, the state’s website provides all of this information, and much more, in a way that is visually appealing, engaging, and fun. This approach certainly helps to set the stage for the California experience and helps to draw people in and retain their attention. In the highly competitive world of travel tourism, this is very important and the consensus is that the CTTC has done a very good job at providing a compelling tourist guide.

From where to gingerly sip a trendy drink at a casual Los Angeles hideaway, to catching the rays on a sun-baked San Diego beach, to soaking up the high life at a posh Napa Valley spa, the California Travel and Tourism Commission’s website, at “Visit California”, has captured and cataloged the local California hotspots and revealed hidden state treasures. For travelers who like to pre-plan their itinerary, the site even offers an extensive menu of trip ideas, complete with Google maps.

About the Author

Mike Selvon portal offers free articles on vacation rentals. Find out more about travel and tourism, and leave a comment at the travel and tourism blog.

*** Thank you for helping us win YouTube’s January 2012 On the Rise competition! *** California travel expert Veronica Hill (www.CaliforniaTravelExpert.com) and the California Essential Guide (http introduces her web series, California Travel Tips. These California travel videos include Veronica’s personal picks for the best California attractions, restaurants, resorts and hotels — along with a few little-known gems. We are so honored to be chosen as the January 2012 winner of YouTube OntheRise. We want to thank AsktheBuilder.com for being our mentor and supporter for 5 years (and tirelessly helping us promote the contest); Meghan Carter (AsktheDecorator) and her brilliant fiancé Brent Walter for their expert video tips and advice; my parents for keeping the kids entertained as we film our videos; traveling YouTubers like pdrop, overlander and waydesworldhawaii for their last-minute support of the competition; sportstalk4kids and cheapfamilytravel for their constant enthusiasm for our channel; and all of our faithful viewers, whose kind words have kept us motivated all these years. Most of all, we want to thank the YouTube community and everyone who voted. You guys are awesome, and we couldn’t have done it without your support! SUBSCRIBE for free alerts every time we post a new video at www.youtube.com

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