As the landscape of Ventura evolves, we find ourselves at a crossroads. Families with children are moving away, our school campuses are increasingly underutilized, and city revenues are under pressure. These challenges, while sobering, present a unique opportunity: to reimagine Ventura not only as a coastal gem but as a premier healthcare and tourism destination tailored for the 21st century.
Ventura is ideally positioned to lead California’s next innovation in recovery tourism: five-star, all-inclusive health resorts that serve as post-surgical convalescent retreats. These are not the clinical rehabilitation centers of the past. These would be wellness-forward luxury resorts that blend medical oversight, physical therapy, spa amenities, fine dining, and serene coastal environments — designed to aid recovery and improve long-term health outcomes.
Our proximity to top-tier hospitals and surgical centers in Ventura County and neighboring Los Angeles makes us an ideal satellite for post-op recovery. Our natural climate, slower pace, and coastal charm offer exactly the kind of healing environment patients seek — and insurers increasingly value — for recuperation. We already attract retirees and weekend tourists. Why not become the go-to destination for recovery and rejuvenation?
Many of Ventura’s school campuses, once centers of community life, now sit half full or empty. Instead of seeing this as a symbol of decline, we should see it as an opening. These campuses could be thoughtfully redeveloped into five-star healthcare resorts — designed in partnership with healthcare providers and hospitality groups — that bring year-round economic activity to Ventura.
This type of development would not only create good-paying local jobs in healthcare, hospitality, and maintenance, it would also spark secondary growth. Restaurants, service providers, wellness professionals, and even shuttle and transportation services would see a surge in demand. Meanwhile, our local colleges and vocational programs could tailor training programs to supply the skilled workforce such resorts would need.
A common fear is that such a pivot means giving up on families. On the contrary — it creates the economic foundation to welcome them back. These resorts would stabilize city revenue, reduce our dependence on volatile tourism seasons, and allow us to invest in parks, infrastructure, and school programming again. With more jobs, housing, and revenue in circulation, Ventura becomes once again a place where young families see a future.
Ventura doesn’t need to compete with sprawling metropolises. We can chart our own course — one that blends world-class healthcare recovery, luxury wellness tourism, and smart reuse of public lands to generate long-term community value.
Let us be bold. Let us be creative. And most importantly, let us not be afraid to shape Ventura into a city that cares for the body, inspires the soul, and supports its people — all while staying true to its coastal roots.
William Cornell is a resident of Ventura.
