News & Notes - August 2019

Photo Credit: John Tyler Curtis

Los Angeles Tourism shared new visitation forecasts, tourism data and industry trends with more than 750 members and business leaders at the seventh annual Los Angeles Market Outlook Forum last week. Highlights included global sales and marketing plans for the year ahead, a new breakout session for the hotel community and authentically L.A. performers.

Los Angeles Tourism announced it will be expanding its global marketing efforts to emerging international markets including Italy, Spain and Southeast Asia and will officially open a full-time tourism office in India (Mumbai) later this year. Members also received a first-look at the newest creative for the Everyone is Welcome campaign, learned about the top travel trends impacting the industry and gained insights on the outlook of tourism in Los Angeles.

Bruce Baltin of CBRE received a Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring his highly significant contributions to the hospitality industry. New this year, a breakout designed for hotel members focused on hotel industry trends for the U.S. and Los Angeles; opportunities and challenges for the L.A. market; as well as Los Angeles Tourism’s 2020 Citywide, Self-Contained and MICE sales strategies.

Special guest speakers included Chris Klauda of STR; John Hach of TravelClick; Eric Gradman of Two Bit Circus; Katie Stadius of MBuy; Judge Craig Mitchell, Founder of Skid Row Running Club; Michael Lockwood of POPULOUS; Amy Jakubowski of Wilson Associates; and Lynn Carpenter of Visit California.

Los Angeles Tourism would like to express our sincere appreciation to the following event sponsors:

We would like to extend a special invitation to you to join us at our 37th annual CalTravel Summit September 10-13 at the J.W. Marriott at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles! The 37th Annual Summit will bring the leading voices of travel and tourism together for four days of hot issues, expert insights, interactive workshops, inspiration, and one-of-a-kind opportunities to network in the heart of Downtown L.A. 

California Travel Association (CalTravel) is the advocacy organization for the travel and tourism industry in California, and the Summit is our annual conference to inspire and educate travel leaders on the issues that are most important to us—state and national politics, economics, homelessness, sustainability, workforce development, transportation, crisis management and communications, protection of our funding models. etc.

In the audience will be 400+ travel and tourism leaders from destination marketing organizations, cities, hotels, attractions, airports, rental car companies, marketing companies, industry associations, universities, and other organizations for whom the California travel and tourism industry is important. More information about the Summit is here. 

 

Leisure and Hospitality sector supported 550,200 jobs during July 2019, a 0.9% decrease compared to the prior month. Compared to the prior year, the sector increased employment by 10,000 jobs, the third largest  increase among the super sectors.

Famous voices are now welcoming millions of people to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). These “Voices of Los Angeles” include local entertainers, sports figures, musicians, actors, chefs and other celebrity voices that echo the spirit of Los Angeles such as Jimmy Kimmel, host and executive producer of Jimmy Kimmel Live!; Justin Turner, third baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers; Gustavo Dudamel, internationally renowned conductor, Music and Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic; and Susan Feniger, L.A.-based chef, author, radio and TV personality, and owner of BBQ Mexicana, Socalo and Border Grill restaurants, which has a location inside the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
 

According to the latest forecast figures from the U.S. Travel Association, the steady decline in the U.S. share of the lucrative international travel market is set to continue until at least 2022. U.S. Travel economists point to several factors for the gloomy international inbound forecast, foremost among them the continued, historic strength of the U.S. dollar, which makes traveling here from other countries much more expensive. Other factors include ongoing trade tensions, which materially dampen the demand for travel, and stiff competition from rivals for international tourism dollars. Brand USA, the organization tasked with promoting the U.S. globally as a travel destination, is up for renewal via bills that have been introduced in both the House and Senate.