ANAHEIM : Mayor Proposes Visitors Center

Mayor Tom Daly has asked the city to explore the possibility of creating a visitors center to help guide tourists to hotels, restaurants and destinations like Disneyland.

“For years we have relied on tourism as one of our strongest industries,” Daly said. “With tourism becoming more competitive, we have to continue to make a visitor’s experience as convenient and attractive as possible.”

In addition to the lure of Disneyland, the city attracts millions of visitors each year for events at The Big A, The Pond, and Anaheim Convention Center--one of the largest facilities of its kind in the country.

Daly said the visitors center could be a place to make hotel reservations, buy tickets to events at the stadium or Convention Center, pick up maps, ask about places to eat, find the best route to the beach and get other help.

“It would be especially helpful for families who arrive late in the evening without advance reservations,” Daly said. “It could save a lot of time and needless driving around looking for a place to sleep or eat.”

Daly said the center, which he said could be both privately and publicly funded, would benefit local businesses--especially those not located near popular tourist spots.

“I see it as a way to market the whole city,” he said. “It’s a way to help Anaheim business people attract as many customers as possible.”