News & Notes - November 2019

Los Angeles Tourism is now the first U.S. city destination marketing organization to establish a full-time office in India, based in Mumbai. Seema Kadam, regional director for India, will oversee Los Angeles Tourism's promotional efforts in-market from spearheading strategic travel trade engagement to attending key industry trade shows.

Led by Los Angeles City Councilmember Curren D. Price Jr., a tourism delegation – comprised of city officials and regional tourism industry partners – traveled to Mumbai last week to commemorate the office opening alongside airline partners, travel trade professionals, tour operators and media.

Los Angeles has seen record visitation from India in recent years with forecasts calling for continued solid growth through 2023.

Are you one of the 99 million Americans who currently doesn’t have an acceptable ID to board a domestic flight on and after October 1, 2020? In less than one year, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will require every American traveling by air to present a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license (or another acceptable form of ID such as a U.S. passport) to go through airport security checkpoints and board their flight.
 

That means beginning October 1, 2020, a traditional driver’s license will no longer be accepted through airport security. If you don’t see a star or U.S. flag on your current driver’s license, that means you are not REAL ID-compliant.

Unless you plan to use your U.S. passport or Global Entry for every single domestic flight, you must go to a California DMV to get a REAL ID. Before lines at your local DMV get even longer, plan ahead and make an appointment online, up to three months in advance. You’ll also be able to fill out the online application to save time during your DMV visit and learn which documentation you’ll have to bring with you to obtain a REAL ID.

For questions or specific step-by-step instructions on obtaining a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license in California, please check with the California DMV: https://realid.dmv.ca.gov/

U.S. Travel has created this comprehensive fact sheet that outlines everything you need to know about getting #REALIDready.

Travelers generated $38.3 million in transient occupancy tax collections for the city's general fund in October 2019. The cumulative total for the current fiscal year has reached $116.5 million, which is $3.9 million (a 3.5% increase) higher than the previous year.

September events at the Los Angeles Convention Center generated an estimated $27 million in economic impact for the region with 82% of that total attributed to three citywides booked by Los Angeles Tourism.

Compared to September of last year, the Leisure & Hospitality sector increased employment by 12,600 jobs, a 2.4% growth. The sector's growth is the second largest year-over-year increase, following educational and health services.

Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the United States, and United Airlines announced a multi-year, global sponsorship agreement to promote international travel across the United States. The agreement makes United Airlines an official Global Airline Sponsor of Brand USA and the exclusive airline sponsor of Brand USA's next IMAX® film, "Into America's Wild," which premieres in February 2020.