LOS ANGELES TOURISM ANNOUNCES TOURISM INDUSTRY GENERATED $34.5 BILLION IN TOTAL BUSINESS SALES IN 2022, IMPACTING MORE THAN 528,200 TOURISM-RELATED CAREERS AND $3 BILLION IN TAX REVENUES
LOS ANGELES TOURISM ANNOUNCES TOURISM INDUSTRY GENERATED $34.5 BILLION IN TOTAL BUSINESS SALES IN 2022, IMPACTING MORE THAN 528,200 TOURISM-RELATED CAREERS AND $3 BILLION IN TAX REVENUES
Tourism contributed $287 million to the City’s General Fund and saved each Los Angeles County household $893 in taxes annually.
Recovery comes as Los Angeles Tourism highlights “LA 2.0” with new openings, infrastructure developments, and iconic anniversaries this year, including the Hollywood Sign’s Centennial.
LOS ANGELES (May 4, 2023) – Los Angeles Tourism, the official non-profit destination marketing and sales organization for Los Angeles, today announced that tourism to Los Angeles County generated $34.5 billion in total business sales in 2022, reaching 91 percent of 2019’s record-setting levels. More than 528,200 tourism-related careers were generated last year along with $3 billion in state and local taxes, including $287 million to the City’s General Fund, supporting essential services for all Angelenos. As a result of the tourism industry, each LA County household saved $893 in annual state and local taxes. In addition, hotel demand grew in 2022 to reach nearly 30 million room nights sold, reaching 96.3 percent of 2019 record levels. In 2023 hotel demand is expected to reach 31 million room nights, 102 percent of 2019 levels. The announcement was made this morning at the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at a joint event with Visit California and Los Angeles World Airports as California Tourism Month kicks off.
“As we make strides toward a stronger, safer and healthier Los Angeles, it is important to recognize the vital role the tourism industry plays in improving the lives of Angelenos,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. “Tourism’s strong recovery provides long-lasting economic opportunities that reach every neighborhood and household in Los Angeles and I'm proud to continue to support this growth.”
In 2022, Los Angeles welcomed 46.2 million visitors, including 41.9 million domestic and 4.3 million international visitors, meaning total visitation was 91.1 percent recovered to record-breaking 2019 levels. In 2023, the organization anticipates to welcome nearly 50 million visitors, with total visitation estimated to reach 98 percent to 2019 levels.
“Over the course of the pandemic, we saw first-hand how indispensable tourism is to our community, with job losses of nearly 200,000 and $42.2 billion in lost business sales, impacting hundreds of small businesses across the region,” said Los Angeles Tourism President and CEO Adam Burke. “Thankfully, 2022 marked a major turning point in LA’s economic recovery, with visitors to our City of Angels supporting more than 528,200 tourism-related careers and generating $34.5 billion in total sales to our local business community. While there’s still work ahead to achieve full recovery – particularly in rebuilding vital international visitation – there are more reasons to visit LA than ever before, and I wholeheartedly believe the best is yet to come.”
International visitation continues to be a key focus of Los Angeles Tourism. For over two decades, Los Angeles has been the only U.S. destination to maintain full-time offices and team members overseas, with seven offices that remained open and operational throughout the pandemic. The strategy provides Los Angeles Tourism the ability to remain agile to diversify its reach and creates a first-mover advantage to increase market share. In 2022, international visitation increased by nearly 2 million visitors, representing an 81.7 percent year-over-year increase from 2021. Los Angeles’ top five international markets in 2022 were Mexico (1,440,000), Canada (590,000), U.K./Ireland (300,000), France (240,000), and Australia/New Zealand (230,000).
“The travel and tourism industry not only creates revenue that supports the City’s General Fund, but provides careers for a diverse population and makes our city culturally vibrant,” said Doane Liu, Chief Tourism Officer. “I’m excited about how much progress we’ve made towards recovery, and I look forward to continuing to work with our partners to implement the recommendations in our Tourism Master Plan, including expanding and modernizing the LA Convention Center.”
Following the Los Angeles Convention Center’s 18-month hiatus due to the pandemic, Los Angeles Tourism Meetings and Conventions welcomed 11 citywide conventions to the Los Angeles Convention Center in FY 2021-2022, drawing nearly 300,000 attendees and generating 200,225 room nights for area hotels. Looking ahead, 21 confirmed major meetings and events are coming to Los Angeles in 2023, which project to generate approximately $225 million in total economic impact.
“Los Angeles International Airport has one of the largest and most ambitious capital improvement programs in the world, and what we are doing here is really transformational,” said Los Angeles World Airports Chief Executive Officer Justin Erbacci. “We are proud that soon visitors will experience our People Mover train, which will provide a seamless journey for guests arriving and departing LAX. We look forward to welcoming even more visitors from around the globe as our City prepares to host major events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
The surge in visitation comes as Los Angeles Tourism spotlights major investments across the region that have created more demand drivers than ever. From infrastructure and hotel development to newly-introduced attractions, Los Angles Tourism is using the term “LA 2.0” to describe the breadth of new experiences in the City of Angeles. Infrastructure updates include the $15 billion modernization of Los Angeles International Airport, which includes 15 new, state-of-the-art gates at the Tom Bradley International Terminal. Attractions include SUPER NINTENDO WORLD at Universal Studios Hollywood, the Hammer Museum’s recent renovation and Destination Crenshaw, set to open in 2024. In addition, the Los Angeles region has added over 7,400 hotel rooms since February 2020. Recently-opened properties include the Conrad Los Angeles and Moxy and AC Hotels Downtown, reaffirming Los Angeles’ position as the premier destination to stay, work and do business.
As part of “LA 2.0,” Los Angeles Tourism is celebrating a year of centennials, including the iconic Hollywood Sign, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Warner Bros. Studios and the Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles. This year also marks the 15th Anniversary of Dine LA Restaurant Week, with its Spring program running through May 12. These incredible demand drivers support the City as it continues to welcome major sporting events in its unprecedented decade of sports culminating with LA28—the 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games.
Los Angeles Tourism invites worldwide visitors to explore, experience and enjoy all that’s 'Now Playing' in the City of Angels. The second phase of the star-studded global advertising campaign launched this past February, coincides with some of the city’s most celebrated milestones and events, including the centennial of the iconic Hollywood Sign and the 95th annual Academy Awards. ‘Now Playing’ has appeared in traditional and digital marketing channels in the U.S. and in international markets, including Australia, Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.
Los Angeles Tourism’s year-end numbers were compiled by Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics Company, and Los Angeles Tourism.
To learn more, visit DiscoverLosAngeles.com or @discoverla on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
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MEDIA CONTACTS
Chris Heywood
SVP, Global Communications
cheywood@latourism.org
(213) 236-2366
Meryl Vissel
Director, Corporate Communications
mvissel@latourism.org
(213) 236-2326
ABOUT LOS ANGELES & LOS ANGELES TOURISM
Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (Los Angeles Tourism) is the non-profit destination marketing and sales organization for the Los Angeles tourism industry and the ultimate resource for where to stay and play in the LA area.
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