CALIFORNIA BUSINESS MINUTE
Tourism Up
05-12-10
Hi, I am Tim Johnson and welcome to the California Business Minute
The state’s Travel and Tourism Commission predicts the number of visitors will
rise by nearly 3% this year and they'll spend about $92 billion on food, lodging
and other expenses. That would be a 5% increase over 2009.
The Commission’s forecast was released last week at a news conference in Santa
Monica and is based on a Pennsylvania company's analysis of national economic
data, unemployment rates and other factors.
A big share of that increase in visitors is expected to come from abroad,
particularly Australia, China and South Korea, which recently was added to a
U.S. government program that will allow South Koreans to visit this country
for up to 90 days without a visa, according to tourism officials.
Another reason for the growth is that according to the U.S. Travel Association,
the stay-cation that become so wildly known after the terrorist attacks of 9/11
apparently are now officially over and people are taking vacations further away
from home and taking longer vacations.
The CTTC is a non-profit organization with a mission to develop and maintain
marketing programs in partnership with the state's travel industry that keep
California on traveler’s top-of-their-minds as a premier travel destination.
According to the CTTC, travel and tourism expenditures totaled $87.7 billion
in California in 2009, supported 881,000 jobs for Californians and generated
$5.3 billion in state and local tax revenues.
For more information about the CTTC and for a free California Visitor's Guide
as well as California Road Trips 2010, go to www.VisitCalifornia.com.
I am Tim Johnson and this has been the California Business Minute.
|
