The California Official State Visitor’s Guide and Travel Planner (CVG) is California’s premier tourism publication, providing inspiration to tourists considering visiting California, an outlet for advertisers hoping to gain influence in that segment, and an opportunity for rural regions and attractions to gain editorial representation in a widely-distributed resource. The guide is created as a partnership between CTTC and Sunset Custom Media Solutions (CMS). The guide is distributed to 500,000 consumers each year through direct fulfillment, use in events and trade shows, and distribution through CVBs and California Welcome Centers (CWCs). It sees an online distribution of approximately 100,000. The CVG is also used as the primary distribution mechanism for the California Official State Map.

The CVG continues to evolve year to year to continue to meet the needs of California tourists. Based on the positive feedback of the expanded “Inspiration” section in the 2008 CVG, the 2009 CVG also features a longer content section in the beginning of the guide that is more inviting and interactive for consumers. This section is utilized to celebrate the diversity of the California lifestyle and experience, while inviting the reader to participate.

The articles in the front of the book also cover major CTTC branding themes and initiatives, including distinctive lifestyle, romance, family fun, trip ideas, cultural diversity, wine and food, outdoor recreation, indulgence and adventure.

The 2010 California Visitor’s Guide will continue to build upon the design strategy that has been used over the past two issues. This strategy builds upon the California brand with inspirational original content, portraying California as a land of abundance, with a wide variety of desirable activities and characteristics, unique to the state. This approach was validated in research.

• Provide inspiration and basic travel-planning information to potential California tourists, moving them from consideration to selection of California as vacation destination.
• Motivate consumers to use the visitcalifornia.com Web site for more detailed trip planning.
• Distribute the California Official State Map, which helps potential travelers visualize and begin planning their trips to California.
• Provide an outlet for advertisers hoping to influence potential tourists.
• Provide an opportunity for rural regions and attractions to gain representation. 

The success of the CVG is measured through distribution. Approximately 500,000 hard copies are distributed annually, and 100,000 are downloaded from visitcalifornia.com.

Fulfillment costs relate to the fulfillment of orders for all domestic CTTC publications, including Road Trips and the Official State Map. The California Visitor’s Guide is entirely paid for through advertising revenue.