California’s tourism industry is quickly climbing back to pre-pandemic levels as visitors rediscover the Golden State, but new data from Visit California’s recently released 2021 Economic Impact of Travel Report, shows that challenges remain for many destinations as tourism trends continue to fluctuate.
Visitor spending statewide jumped 46% in 2021 compared to 2020, reaching $100.2 billion. And jobs in the travel and hospitality sectors also grew 6.4% to 927,000.
The industry’s recovery is outpacing previous projections, with a full recovery now expected in 2023 – a year ahead of earlier estimates.
During the height of the pandemic, rural communities benefitted from travelers’ desire to explore the outdoors. Many visitors discovered the benefits of California’s outdoor recreation destinations for the first time as the pandemic disrupted other activities, leading to a sharp increase in visitor spending in these communities. But statewide visitor spending levels have reached just 69% of pre-pandemic highs recorded in 2019.
Travel trends could continue to change as the landscape around COVID-19 continues to evolve. As more destinations around the world begin to welcome tourists back, intensified competition among destinations to lure visitors could diminish the benefits seen by communities throughout California that have begun to recover.
Check out the full EIR report and an interactive map of data by county from Visit California here.