T-shirts, keychains, hats, mugs, and more are now available for purchase at madeincorpuschristi.com. Funds will benefit hospitality workers who lost their jobs when restaurants, bars, and hotels were shut down to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
We Ride this Wave Together, says Visit Corpus Christi, which launched a Visit Corpus Christi Cares fundraising campaign April 8 to help workers in the hospitality industry who have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As a tourism destination, we know the power of travel,” said Brett Oetting, president and CEO of Visit Corpus Christi, the city’s convention and tourism board. “Without tourism, the Corpus Christi that we know today would not exist.”
Lovers of the Coastal Bend can support struggling hospitality workers by buying newly designed merchandise with uplifting slogans or making a direct donation to a fund.
“If we, as a community, cannot support the (tourism) industry now, many of our favorite restaurants and things to do won’t be around to enjoy after we are able to leave our homes,” Oetting said at a virtual news briefing on the new program April 8. “Travel and tourism is critical to the Corpus Christi ecosystem and plays an essential role in the future success of our community.”
The money will be collected and distributed by the Corpus Christi Heritage Society, a 501c3 charitable foundation. Available merchandise is being designed and produced locally.
“For every $100 spent at a locally owned business, $68 stays in the community,” said Nikki Riojas, owner of Made in Corpus Christi, a shop that sells locally designed and produced goods. “For every $100 spent in a chain store, only $43 stays in the community. In our shop, 90 percent stays in the community.”
The lineup of goods for the Visit Corpus Christi Cares program includes wooden stickers and key chains, T-shirts, coffee and drink mugs, hats, and more. Merchandise can be purchased directly from the Made in Corpus Christi website.
Unemployed hospitality workers can apply directly for funds from the program at the Visit Corpus Christi website.
The fundraiser is not a one-off program that will end with stay-at-home orders either.
“This is going to be a longstanding program we look to have for years to come,” Oetting said. “Whether the disaster is a hurricane or other unfortunate event, we need to look at different times when we can help. We want to raise these funds throughout the year. This is just the kickoff to the fund itself.”
Visit Corpus Christi is also working on a new campaign it will launch when people begin traveling again. Oetting said he supported the city’s decision to stop short-term rentals, which went into effect April 7.
“We need to be safe and healthy right now,” he said. “That doesn’t mean we don’t want visitors. We just prefer they stay at home right now.”
Once stay-at-home orders are lifted, the Coastal Bend should experience a busier-than-usual tourist season, Oetting predicted.
“The trend has been that, within a month or two after a crisis, there is a spike in travel, especially domestic driving travel,” Oetting said. “That will serve us well here in Corpus Christi. We will start an aggressive tourism campaign as soon as the worst is behind us.”
In the meantime, he noted, it is important to support the people who keep tourism businesses running.
“This is a great cause, these are great designs,” Oetting said. “These are shirts and mugs that people will want anyway, and you will be supporting a local business at the same time.”
