January 17, 2023 (Ventura, Calif.) — Visit Ventura is proud to announce the release of the new 2024 Ventura Inspiration Guide.
Celebrating both the adventure above the surface and below, Visit Ventura’s Inspiration Guide cover wrap showcases the heart of the community and our way of life connected to water, the beach, and the marine life we share it with. From the bright orange garibaldis and the giant green kelp gently flowing along with the motion of the water to the playful dolphins and magnificent humpback whales, the underwater illustrations depict just how diverse Ventura is below the surface. And above, the three images perfectly sum up Ventura’s lifestyle: the surfer girl who you walk past on the beach every morning, the swaying palm trees that line the Ventura Promenade, and the iconic arch of the Anacapa Island, part of the Channel Islands National Park just off Ventura’s coast.
“Working on Visit Ventura’s Inspiration Guide has always been one of my favorite creative projects, and I’m super happy to present this year’s cover which showcases Ventura’s strong connection to the Channel Islands National Park and the rich marine life found in our waters,” said Michele Gilmour, Visit Ventura’s Director of Business Development, who oversaw the Inspiration Guide from start to finish. “Our Inspiration Guide is often one of the first publications visitors see when they come to town and we’re excited to share information on Ventura’s coastal charm and diverse attractions. We are so grateful to our incredible partners and advertisers who made it possible to create this guide.”
The Ventura Inspiration Guide, a collaborative effort between Visit Ventura and publisher Wanderlust Content Studio, is filled with helpful information and inside tips; everything from undiscovered Ventura neighborhoods and shopping, eating, and adventuring secrets to the ultimate guide to Channel Islands National Park.
As usual, Visit Ventura showcases all things local in the 2024 Inspiration Guide. Photos of local community members by local photographers who know Ventura like the back of their hands are featured inside the pages. Because after all, who can tell the Ventura story better than an actual Venturan?
You’ll read stories from community members like our own Steve Walden of Walden Surfboards and Thomas Cussins, owner of the Ventura Music Hall. Plus other stories about Ventura’s connection to native land, and our record-breaking summer with X Games 2023.
Each and every story offers insight into what makes us tick, what we value, and most importantly, how we have fun.
“The inspiration guide just gets better and better each year,” said Ventura Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Stephanie Caldwell. “It is such a great tool to share with the rest of the world how incredible our community is. I love seeing the inclusion of our local businesses which brings visitors to their doorsteps and drives a vibrant economy.”
Ventura has always been proud of its close-knit community where strangers smile at each other and small-town kindness is aplenty. Like the town it portrays, the Inspiration Guide is also very much a collective effort. Local business owners and partners continue to support Visit Ventura’s Inspiration Guide through native advertising to give readers a holistic picture of what our city is all about. The Inspiration Guide brings storytelling to a different level with each advertisement inside. In fact, the guide’s authentic native advertising received HSMAI’s Adrian Award for Print Advertising in 2022.
Visit Ventura is proud to share that its 2023 Inspiration Guide received the 2023 International Best Travel Guide Awards, presented by The International Association of Visitor Information Providers.
“Through the Inspiration Guide, Ventura’s businesses get to tell their own story and collectively invite others to come and innovate, create, and play – at all the best spots,” said City of Ventura Economic Development Manager Meredith Hart. “Visit Ventura masterfully creates this testament to our community by celebrating our uniqueness and our beauty, attracting continued economic vibrancy, and helping our local businesses thrive as people all around the globe crack open the guide and dream of our reality!”
This year, Visit Ventura increased the print run of the magazine to 80,000 copies. Every single copy (65,000 of them!) of the 2023 guide was distributed and a second print run was added to meet demand. With an average pass-along rate of five readers per issue for specialty publications, the 2024 Guide will be seen by up to 400,000 readers as they plan their trip to Ventura.
Stop by the Ventura Visitor Center (101 South California Street) to experience the magic and pick up your own guide. Or have a look at the digital version here. And you can click here to order a copy.
Read the official Visit Ventura Press Release HERE
