Travel Matters
Travel and tourism is one of California’s most vital engines for economic growth. Every day before the pandemic of 2020, travelers injected hundreds of millions of dollars into communities across the Golden State, infusing $144.9 billion into the state’s economy in 2019. This spending generated $12.2 billion in local and state tax revenue and supported 1.2 million jobs for Californians.
The industry was largely shut down in 2020, but now recovery is moving forward and the economic power of travel and tourism has never been more important to all Californians.
California has accelerated tourism’s recovery. Visitor spending, employment and visitor-generated tax revenue rose in 2021, and visitor spending totals in 2021 reached 69% of the pre-pandemic high in 2019. Full economic recovery is expected in 2023 – a year earlier than projected in 2021.
As the fifth-largest economy in the world, California cannot afford to lose the benefits from the state's thriving tourism economy. Visit California and the state's tourism industry have successfully galvanized the California brand around the world and will continue to experience economic vitality and spending growth.
Visit California's strategic marketing decisions deliver a strong return on investment, generating revenue that empowers the state and local governments to invest in infrastructure improvements, cultural and civic amenities and innovative projects that benefit both residents and visitors. Learn more on our Travel Matters site here.
