A Note from Ernie - May 2018

Dear Friends,

As the days get longer and the temperatures get warmer, the summer travel season is quickly approaching. While millions of travelers countdown for their well-deserved vacations, AAA just named its top domestic summer travel destinations for 2018. To no surprise, Los Angeles – along with our neighbor Anaheim – is among the top five destinations, based on AAA travel bookings.

A very happy 50th anniversary to IPW, the travel industry’s premier international travel marketplace powered by U.S. Travel. Next week, the L.A. Tourism team is off to Denver to meet with a bevy of travel professionals and media from across the globe to highlight and promote the destination’s newest visitor offerings and tourism products.

TOT collections continue to be a positive revenue stream for the City of Los Angeles. I’m pleased to share that collections for March 2018 totaled $24.3 million, bringing our fiscal year total to $217.9 million. This figure is $24.4 million higher than the same time last year, a 12.6% year-over-year increase.

If you’re seeking additional tourism insight on two of our key international markets, China and India, I encourage you to attend our complimentary educational seminar on June 6, in partnership with American Airlines. You’ll learn about travel profiles and opportunities for these two important markets and can register via the invitation sent to your email inbox.

These are just a few of the many updates on L.A. Tourism and our industry that we’re sharing with you in May’s newsletter. As always, we will be here, working on behalf of all of our members and partners to keep the world coming to Los Angeles.

Best wishes,

Ernest Wooden Jr.
President and CEO
Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board