News & Notes - March 2019

African American Culture & Entertainment Guide
Los Angeles Tourism has produced a new, comprehensive guide to African American culture and entertainment in Los Angeles. Thoughtfully designed for both locals and visitors, the guide explores the influential history and rich culture of African Americans in L.A. Highlights include must-see arts & culture experiences, culinary gems and insights from prominent African American leaders, artists and celebrities.
Readers can discover the rich tapestry of African American culture, arts and history at family-friendly museums such as the California African American Museum (Exposition Park) or Fowler Museum (UCLA), which has one of the top 20 African collections worldwide. The guide spotlights L.A.-based African American artists and creatives are spotlighted for their innovative and thought-provoking works. The free guide is available at Los Angeles Tourism’s Visitor Information Centers or online at discoverlosangeles.com/blackla
2019 Winter dineL.A. Recap
dineL.A., the premier dining event that celebrates the destination’s diverse culinary scene, recorded successful results for its 2019 Winter dineL.A. event. An all time high 429 restaurants participated in the program with 70 restaurants joining dineL.A. for the first time. Consumers set a new record for web traffic to the dineLA.com website with over 926K visits. The dineL.A. team thanks every participating restaurant and their partners AMEX, American Airlines and OpenTable for making 2019 Winter dineL.A. an overall success.
Member Tip
The new discoverlosangeles.com is now live! Please review your Member listing page to make sure all of your information is up-to-date.

Industry News
Los Angeles International Airport broke ground on the Automated People Mover (APM), a train which will connect travelers directly to airport terminals and create new and convenient locations for passenger pick-up and drop-off outside the Central Terminal Area. The historic infrastructure project will transform public transportation, reduce traffic congestion, and deliver a world-class experience for travelers at LAX. The train is the centerpiece of the Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP), which also includes a Consolidated Rent-A-Car (ConRAC) facility and associated roadway improvements. Once completed in 2023, the APM will connect with L.A. Metro's light rail system.
Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) announced that Finnair, the ninth Oneworld alliance carrier to begin service at LAX, will launch a new nonstop flight, connecting Los Angeles travelers to Helsinki, Finland. The inaugural flight is scheduled for Sunday, March 31, and will include a gate celebration for passengers featuring LAWA and Finnair officials. With the launch of this new route, LAX will become one of only five airports in the U.S. providing nonstop flights to and from Helsinki. This is the first time LAX is providing this nonstop route.
Travelers in January 2019 generated $24.3 million in TOT contributions for the City of L.A.'s general fund, bringing the fiscal year cumulative total to $185.3 million. This total is 8.1 percent higher than the same time last year.