California is one of the most popular states for international and national visitors. They come for the climate, the fantastic tourist attractions, for the glitz and glamor, but also for the business. Hotels like the Bicycle Casino Hotel are always looking at the statistics and trends of visitors to Los Angeles, as their very existence relies on it. So what are some of the key facts and figures to be aware of?
The Travel Impact During 2016
In 2016, a total of $126,3 billion was spent on direct travel. This represented a 3.1% increase. The travel industry gave direct support to 1,096,000 jobs who had collective earnings of $45.4 billion. Spending on travel in this year brought some $4.9 billion into the local tax coffers, as well as $5.3 billion into those of the state.
Person Trips During 2016
There were a total of 268.4 million person trips. 219.1 million of those were for leisure, and 49.4 million came for business. Meanwhile, 251.1 million person trips were domestic, and 17.3 were international. Of these:
- 9 million came from Mexico.
- 8 million came from overseas destinations.
- 5 million came from Canada.
Expected Growth During 2017
The picture for 2017 looks very positive. It is believed that there will be a 2.1% increase in total visitation. This represents a 2.3% growth in domestic travel, but a 0.9% decrease in international travel. It is also expected that there will be a 3.1% increase in spending. This represents a 4% increase in domestic spending, but a 0.2% decrease in international spending.
California’s Domestic Travel During 2015
It seems as if California is becoming ever more popular with every year that passes, both for domestic and international tourists. Around 71% of all domestic leisure visitors to the state were California residents themselves. Other top states were:
- 3% came from Arizona.
- 9% came from Nevada.
- 5% came from Texas.
- 9% came from New York.
- 7% came from Washington.
- 5% came from Oregon.
- 4% came from Illinois.
California’s International Travel During 2016
In 2016, some 17.3 million international visitors came to the state. As stated, most of those came from Mexico, followed by overseas visitors and Canada. The top overseas markets for the state were:
- 1,361,000 Chinese.
- 693,000 British.
- 604,000 Australians.
- 548,000 Japanese.
- 470,000 South Koreans.
- 442,000 French.
- 423,000 Germans.
- 319,000 Indians.
- 279,000 Scandinavians.
So what does all this tell us? It means, mainly, that the tourism industry has to be responsive to a huge and varied audience that includes local, national, and international people. Each of these have different demands and expectations, and only hospitality businesses like the Bicycle Casino Hotel will be able to achieve this, mainly be being innovative across the board. Furthermore, they have to ensure that they have the capacity to continue to meet demand as well. The state’s economy, and that of LA in particular, depends on it.