Visit California has retained the services of marketing agency Black Diamond, awarding a new five-year contract to promote the Golden State in the UK & Ireland. Following a competitive RFP process, Black Diamond, who has held the account since 2007, was successful in again securing the Visit California business. The agency will continue its work across consumer marketing, public relations, travel trade, and digital disciplines to promote the California travel experience and lifestyle to trade, media, and consumer audiences.

California is positioned to offer a “Summer of Fun” for visitors owing to an unprecedented number of significant enhancements to some of the Golden State’s most iconic attractions.

It’s road trip season and California Road Trips 2012 encourages visitors to hit the road and explore the Golden State, with this year’s focus on fun for the entire family.

Available now in the App Store, Visit California is putting the majestic landscapes and energetic culture of California, one of the world’s top tourist destinations, at travelers’ fingertips with the launch of a new iPad appâ.

California welcomes back winter after the recent storm that added four to six feet of fresh powder to already solid snow bases at resorts in Northern and Central California. With more snow in the forecast, Visit California and its winter resort partners along the Sierra Nevada are celebrating the season’s first major storm with 50+ Ski and Stay accommodation deals and lift ticket promotions at www.visitcalifornia.com/winterdeals.