Copyright CBS News
From wine country weekends to strolls downtown, Lodi's charm continues to draw visitors even when wallets tighten. Regardless, a push to bring more people to what's known as the winegrape capital of the world is at the city's forefront. "How do we tell that story in a compelling way to make people realize that Lodi is different and Lodi is unique?" Visit Lodi CEO Wes Rhea asked. That question was addressed on Wednesday at Destination Lodi, the city's annual State of Tourism. Local leaders, community partners and business owners gathered at Durst Winery to discuss just that, and for the upcoming year, they're taking a new approach. "Wine is only part of our story," Rhea continued. "How we work on the outdoor recreation like Lodi Lake and the nature trail, or how we work on family-friendly activities or cultural activities, or anything that's not normally what folks would think Lodi is, and our downtown, which is really the best downtown in the county?" This year's theme is "Growing Together," showcasing the city is tackling tourism not just through Visit Lodi, but also through the Chamber of Commerce and the city's biggest economic driver -- the wine industry. "It's an incredibly competitive market in terms of attracting visitors," Lodi Chamber of Commerce President J.P. Doucette said. "There's a lot of beautiful, wonderful places to go in Northern California and so what we really wanted to define is what does success look like for us? How do we get people to come and visit our community?" Despite economic struggles impacting many industries, tourism in Lodi this past year has been strong and steady. Hotel rooms continue to be booked, and while Visit Lodi says foot traffic downtown is lower than normal, people are still coming to the city from near and far to explore and, of course, drink local wine. "I think the uniqueness and charm of Lodi is its people," Doucette shared. "We just want to continue to encourage our people and our business owners to be bold, be creative, and try new things. Don't be afraid to fail because you never know what the next big thing is." This year's goal is to work together and stay together, especially during tough economic times. Wednesday was just the start of that collaboration, taking steps towards spreading the unique story of Lodi.
