Has the town of Paso Robles become a booming hotspot for tourists along the California coast, or is it still the small town that over 30,000 people call home?
Within the last five years, Paso has seen an increase in revenue from tourism thanks to the abundance of attractions such as Light at Sensorio, Vina Robles Amphitheatre, and the California Mid-State Fair among many others. But does this growth signify the transition into a tourism town? Or has Paso just had more visitors than normal in recent years?
According to Stacie Jacob, owner of Solterra Strategies and president/CEO of Travel Paso, Paso Robles has indeed become a tourist town.
“Yes, Paso Robles is absolutely a tourist town and I think we can see that through other people coming here and giving us those accolades.” These accolades Jacob mentions are positive press the community receives from outside journalists in regards to tourism. This includes an article written by the Los Angeles Times describing tourist attractions in Paso Robles.
Solterra Strategies is a public relations, brand strategy and marketing solutions firm while Travel Paso is an organization whose primary goal is to promote Paso Robles to tourists out of town. From the marketing done by Solterra Strategies and Travel Paso, Paso Robles saw a revenue of over $9,897,962 in 2024, 161% more than 2019, $6,145,040, which was Paso’s highest year of revenue prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. $7,743,672 was made from hotels/motels, $1,193,284 was made from vacation rentals, and $961,006 was made from RV parks, all mainly coming from tourists staying overnight. In terms of the city’s revenue, each annual revenue is tracked from July of one year to June of the next year.
But is all this revenue coming from tourism good for the city of Paso Robles?
Jacob believes that tourism has a positive impact that is underappreciated. “When a tourist stays in a hotel or any lodging property, whether it be a short term rental, an RV park, or a hotel within city limits of Paso Robles, they are assessed 2% of their bill, which funds the city’s tourism marketing budget.”
Additionally, 11% of their bill is assessed and goes directly to the city’s general fund, helping fund the city in whatever it needs whether it be to improve roads, hire firemen, hire police, etc. Much of this funding helps improve the quality of life for residents of Paso Robles.
“The amount of tourism to our city, brought on mostly by the wine industry, helps create an economy that can support great restaurants, unique shops, and other businesses that locals can take advantage of rather than having to go to another city. So, in short, tourism has a very positive impact for the city,” said Christopher Taranto, Communications Director for Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance (PRWCA).
“In terms of fiscal impacts, between 2023 and 2024, the city estimated that 2/3 of its total revenue, $57.2 million, would be brought in by property taxes, sales tax, and Transient Occupancy Tax.” Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) is the tax tourists pay for lodging establishments, such as hotels/motels, vacation rentals, and RV parks. TOT tax represented roughly 17.4% of the fiscal revenue in 2024.
In 2000, Paso Robles had a TOT of $759,364 while in 2024 they had a TOT of $9,897,962. This is an increase of 1303.45%. Tourism isn’t only appreciated by adults within the community, but also students at PRHS. Junior Olivia Stowell, who works at Taste! Craft Eatery, shares her thoughts on the tourism she experiences.
“Most of the time there are people from different countries and everybody is really friendly. It’s fun to meet new people and hear new languages from other places,” Stowell said.
Jacob believes Paso Robles will continue to grow and become more of a tourist destination for the next 10-25 years, driven by the infrastructure and success of the city’s wine industry, given no external factors such as economic downturns or natural disasters impact the city. In order to retain the next generation of Paso Robles, she discusses the importance of creating more head-of-household jobs rather than residents leaving for opportunities in other places.
A noteworthy challenge the city could face is managing population growth and balancing that with urbanization, particularly traffic, circulation, and infrastructure.
Jacob also hopes the city could collaborate with nearby cities such as Atascadero or San Luis Obispo to provide a more well-rounded experience to tourists visiting the area.