News & Notes - May 2019

Tourism accelerated Los Angeles County’s economic prosperity in 2018 as visitors pumped an all-time high $23.9 billion directly into the L.A. economy, generating a record $36.6 billion in total economic impact. President & CEO Ernest Wooden Jr., LACTD Executive Director Doane Liu and TMD Chairman Javier Cano shared these results and more with L.A. City Council during National Travel & Tourism Week, an annual event established by Congress and organized by the U.S. Travel Association to celebrate the power of travel.

Tourism supported 534,258 jobs in L.A. County’s Leisure & Hospitality sector, its highest total on record, employing 1 in every 8.5 workers in the county. Reaffirming the strength of the sector, tourism added 9,700 new jobs last year.

L.A. County’s hotels set all-time highs in 2018 for room nights sold (demand) at 30.2 million and average daily rate (ADR) at $180.17. Travelers generated a record $308 million in transient occupancy tax collections (TOT) for the City of L.A., an 8.7% year-over-year increase. These dollars are a critical revenue source for the City, used to fund local street repair, fire and police, as well as cultural and recreational services.

Visitor spending in 2018 was $1.2 billion higher than 2017’s total, a 5% increase. Total economic impact (including the induced and indirect benefits) increased 4.9% over the previous year. Tourism contributed $2.9 billion in state and local tax revenues last year. Without tourism, every household in L.A. County would pay an additional $875 in taxes.

Los Angeles welcomed 50 million visitors in 2018 setting records with 42.5 million domestic visitors and 7.5 million international visitors.

dineL.A. launched the dineL.A. Burger Trek in May, celebrating the city’s diverse burger scene by highlighting the must-eat options at 32 established neighborhoods spots across the destination. Burgers spotlighted on the Trek include offerings from Everson Royce Bar, Republique, and Rossoblu to classics such as The Apple Pan and Bill’s Burgers.

On Sunday, May 19, to further celebrate the Burger Trek, dineL.A. has partnered with LA Beer Hop to offer a one-of-a-kind tour that gives participants the unique ability to sample burgers from three dineL.A. Burger Trek locations expertly paired with a beer by a Certified Cicerone®. During the four-hour tour, guests will sample burgers, sides, and beers at these popular burger destinations around Downtown Los Angeles.

The limited-edition Luke Pelletier-illustrated dineL.A. Burger Trek guides can be picked up at select burger spots, while supplies last. Online guides are available for download on dineL.A.’s Burger Trek website all-year-round.

For more information about the dineL.A. Burger Trek, visit dineLABurgerTrek.com.

Did you know that Members can have their brochures featured at Los Angeles Tourism's Visitor Information Centers? Reach out to membercommunications@latourism.org to learn more.

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) guests can now save time thanks to a number of new digital services and the enhancement of the flyLAX.com website. This includes the ability to pre-order food and shop online by viewing products and menus for numerous restaurants and retail stores at LAX. The enhancements to the shopping and dining experience at LAX include the launch of a digital product catalog and digital food ordering services, powered by Grab. Guests can pre-order food on their mobile device, Facebook messenger app or desktop/laptop computer by accessing FlyLAX.com and following the link to "Dining, Shopping and More" and choosing one of the participating terminals, or by going directly to LAXShopDine.com. No additional downloads or mobile app is needed. While the initial launch includes seven restaurants from which guests can pre-order meals, new restaurants, features and amenities are anticipated in the future. 

Visitors generated $28.3 million in transient occupancy tax collections for the city’s general fund in March 2019. For the current fiscal year, TOT collections total $236 million, an increase of 8.3% compared to the same time last year and in line with the adopted budget.

L.A. County’s Leisure & Hospitality sector added 1,800 news jobs in March 2019, a month-over-month increase of 0.3% - the same growth rate for total nonfarm employments during the same period.

During the first quarter of 2019, L.A. County hotels reported an average occupancy rate of 77.5%, which ranked 6th compared to the top 25 markets. Other destinations with higher rates were Miami, Oahu Island, Orlando, Phoenix and Tampa.