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‘California Dream Vacations’: What you need to know about the new vaccine incentive

Sara Stinson/KRON

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 10: California Gov. Gavin Newsom (L) speaks as California Attorney General Rob Bonta (R) looks on during a news conference at San Francisco General Hospital on June 10, 2021 in San Francisco, California. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that the state of California has filed an appeal to a recent decision by a U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez of San Diego to overturn California's three-decade-old ban on assault weapons stating that California's ban on assault weapons violates the constitutional right to bear arms. In his ruling, Benitez compared the popular AR-15 assault rifle to a Swiss Army knife. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Governor Gavin Newsom announced more incentives as a part of the California Comeback Plan in San Francisco on Monday morning.

This includes the Vax for the Win program.


Tomorrow, on the day of California’s grand reopening, ten more vaccinated residents will be selected to win $1.5 million each.

Over 21 million people in California were entered to win $50,000 cash prize drawings and 30 have been selected — including 11 from the Bay Area.

There will also be a drawing on July 1 for six Californians to get a California ‘dream vacation’ and $2,000 towards a trip to a destination in the state.

“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 six trip packages include: 

Similar to the Vax for the Win cash prize drawings, winners of the Dream Vacations will be randomly selected from the pool of eligible Californians and will not be initially announced to protect their privacy. Winners may be announced at a later date, if they consent.

Californians will be required to complete their vaccinations in order to claim their dream vacation. 

The goal is to boost the tourism industry which has been hit extremely hard during the pandemic.

Tourism revenue in the state plummeted $80 billion from 2019 to 2020.

California has seen a 14% increase in vaccinations since the incentives were first announced. 72% of California’s eligible population have received at least one shot, Newsom said.

Newsom said the state will have an electronic system that allows residents to show a digital version of their COVID-19 vaccination status. But he said it is not a ‘vaccine passport.’

There will also be more prizes to come for people who got vaccinated from partners like the Warriors and the Clippers.