Propelling California

Travel is one of California’s most reliable engines for job creation, revenue generation and regional vitality. In 2024, visitor spending saw a healthy 3% increase over the prior year. Growth was widespread, with spending increasing in 50 of California’s 58 counties.

The industry added 24,000 new jobs last year, with total tourism employment reaching 1.17 million. State and local governments benefitted directly, with visitor-generated tax revenues climbing $300 million over the previous year to $12.6 billion.

Funding Essential Public Services

In addition to the revenue generated for tourism businesses and destinations, the travel industry is one of the biggest drivers of state and local tax revenues that fund essential public services.

These services – which include public safety, infrastructure, development, local libraries and more – benefit all Californians. Without the revenue generated by visitor spending, each California household would have had to pay an additional $938 in taxes in 2024.

California’s Top Export

Tourism has historically been among California’s biggest exports.

International visitors spent $26.2 billion in California in 2024, a 16.4% increase over 2023 and 8.8% below the $28.6 billion peak in 2018. Travelers from China and other parts of Asia have been slow to return after the pandemic, hindering full recovery from the international sector.

Unfortunately, economic and geopolitical headwinds are expected to result in a 9.2% slide in international visitation to the Golden State in 2025. This is forecasted to contribute to an overall drop in visitation to California by 0.7%, representing the first projected year-over-year decline in visitation since the pandemic.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

For further research, explore the following resources.

• Economic Impact by County and State, Dean Runyan Associates, Inc.
• Research and Industry Impact, U.S. Travel Association
• Download Travel & Tourism Economic Impact 2024: United States, World Travel and Tourism Council