Los Angeles set another tourism record in 2017, welcoming 48.3 million visitors to the destination and setting a new tourism milestone for the seventh consecutive year.
The record figure is 1.0 million visitors higher than 2016’s total, an increase of 2.2 percent, driven by an all-time high 41.2 million domestic visitors. International visitation overall grew 0.9 percent to a record 7.1 million visitors, outperforming both its projected forecast and inbound travel to the United States as a whole in 2017.
“We are powering Los Angeles’ economy to new heights every year, because we know that lasting prosperity means investing boldly in jobs, opportunity, and growth,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “The expansion of our travel and tourism sector tells the story of a city whose moment has arrived — and we will continue pushing forward as we expand our role on the world stage, and prepare to welcome the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028.”
A contributing factor to L.A.’s year-over-year increase in international visitation is the resonance of a message of welcome, the destination’s tourism board said. In April 2017, L.A. Tourism launched an initiative called “Everyone is Welcome,” which reinforced the city’s cultural diversity and inclusivity. A recent sentiment study conducted in Australia, the U.K., China and Mexico confirmed the campaign’s effectiveness with positive favorability from each market including a resounding impact on visitation likelihood from China (82%) and Mexico (69%).
“Our ‘Everyone is Welcome’ campaign was the right message at the right time; it was a message of humanity and encouraged people around the globe to see the diversity of L.A.’s faces and places,” said Ernest Wooden Jr., president and CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board. “In 2018, we will extend and amplify our message of ‘Welcome’ and intertwine a message of hospitality, fueling even greater momentum towards our north star of 50 million visitors by the year 2020.”
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