Southwest Airline Touts Southern California Tourism

Sep. 13–There might not be a major commercial airport in southwest Riverside County, but that won’t stop the region from becoming a featured destination for Southwest Airlines.

In a marketing deal between the carrier and the Southwest California Economic Alliance, an economic development group representing Temecula, Murrieta and Lake Elsinore, the airline will promote the region as a business and leisure destination, said Kelly Yang, marketing manager for Southwest Airlines.

Meanwhile, the group will promote Southwest Airlines to local businesses as a preferred carrier for business travel.

Although there are no commercial flights directly into the region, travelers typically fly into Ontario International Airport or San Diego International Airport to reach Southwest Riverside County. Both airports are 45 to 60 miles away.

Southwest Airlines, once a low-cost startup that has grown into the nation’s third-largest carrier, is easily the largest airline at both airports. At Ontario, slightly more than half of all travelers fly on Southwest Airlines. At San Diego, the airline handles about a third of the airport’s passengers and three times more than the next-largest carrier.

For the region’s tourism industry, the added recognition could offer a boost, said Kimberly Adams, tourism director for Temecula’s Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Nearly all of Temecula’s tourism–roughly 98 percent–comes from within California. Southwest Airlines handles about two-thirds of all air travel within the state.

Southwest Airlines’ Web site attracts about 8 million visitors each month, according to the airline. Another 4.5 million people subscribe to an e-mail service offering deals to the airline’s featured destinations.

FLYING SOUTHWEST: Year to date, Southwest Airlines has served:

–2.1 million passengers at Ontario International Airport

–3.4 million passengers at San Diego International Airport

Source: Los Angeles World Airports, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority

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