SAN FRANCISCO — A day before the planned June 15 reopening and California's tier system is retired, California state officials announced more incentives to get people vaccinated.
Gov. Gavin Newsom was in San Francisco on Monday morning to announce the "California Dream Vacations" program a new "Vax for the Win" program incentive, tied to jump starting the state's tourism industry.
On July 1, another lottery-type drawing will take place for a series of 6 "dream vacation" packages within the state of California.
Locations for the vacations include San Francisco, San Diego, Anaheim, Los Angeles, and the Ritz Carlton in Palm Springs. Additionally, Gov. Newsom said that winners will receive $2,000 for travel costs and will have at least some meals covered through a variety of "culinary experiences."
“There's no state in America that has more in terms of experiences, more in terms of its culinary options than the great state of California,” Newsom said.
The six trip packages include:
- Discover the Best of Anaheim package for four
- Greater Palm Spring Luxury package for two
- Premium Los Angeles Experience for four
- San Diego Beach Dream Vacation for four
- San Diego Downtown Dream Vacation for four
- San Francisco “Our Gate Is Open” Welcome Package for four
Though details are still emerging about what exactly the vacation packages will include, Newsom said floor seats at a Los Angeles Lakers game, seeing the Giants play in San Francisco, and passes to Disneyland, Sea World, and Legoland are all up for grabs.
“These epic vacations are just a sample of the endless variety of experiences California has to offer,” said Caroline Beteta, President & CEO of Visit California. “The state’s travel industry is rolling out the red carpet to travelers. With COVID-19 at record low rates in the state, now is the time to travel to California.”
The governor also highlighted some of the state's plan to "jump-start the recovery of the travel and tourism industry" in the Golden State by encouraging Californians to travel within the state.
Newsom proposed $95 million in funding to aid California’s tourism economy. He estimates that over 300,000 jobs in the industry can be recovered within a year.
The “Vax for the Win” vaccine incentive program has so far doled out $50,000 to 30 winners. On Tuesday, 10 people who are at least partially vaccinated will split a $15 million grand prize. All residents age 12 and over who are at least partially vaccinated are automatically eligible for the June drawings.
The governor said that since launching the incentive program, the state has seen a 13.8% increase week over week in administered doses. This comes after vaccination rates in California declined, causing the state to move away from mass vaccination sites.
Gov. Newsom's announcement was live streamed at 9:30 a.m. on the ABC10 Facebook page.
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