Los Angeles recorded 49.1 million visitors in 2023, including 43.3 million domestic visitors and 5.8 million international visitors. Visitor-generated business sales reached $40.4 billion, while hotels sold 30.2 million room-nights. These figures show a tourism economy that had nearly recovered its visitor volume from 2019, while business sales had already exceeded the earlier benchmark. [Los Angeles Tourism / Discover Los Angeles]
Table of contents
- Los Angeles visitor volume
- Tourism spending, jobs, and tax impact
- Hotels and accommodation demand
- Domestic travel and visitor activities
- International markets and visitor mix
- Airports and access to Los Angeles
- Conventions, campaigns, and future capacity
Los Angeles visitor volume
Los Angeles tourism reached 49.1 million total visitors in 2023. Los Angeles Tourism reported that this was 97% recovered to the destination’s 2019 benchmark. Domestic travel had fully recovered: the 43.3 million domestic visitors in 2023 represented 100% of 2019 levels. International travel was still rebuilding, with 5.8 million visitors and nearly 79% recovery to the 2019 benchmark. [Los Angeles Tourism / Discover Los Angeles]
The recent recovery can be viewed alongside the 2022 results. Los Angeles welcomed 46.2 million visitors in 2022, made up of 41.9 million domestic visitors and 4.3 million international visitors. Overall visitation in 2022 was 91.1% recovered to 2019 levels. [Los Angeles Tourism / 2022 year-end results]
| Measure | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Total visitors | 46.2 million | 49.1 million |
| Domestic visitors | 41.9 million | 43.3 million |
| International visitors | 4.3 million | 5.8 million |
| Tourism business sales | $34.5 billion | $40.4 billion |
| Tourism-related careers | More than 528,200 | More than 530,000 |
The 2023 total was below the 50 million visitors recorded in 2018, when Los Angeles reached 50.0 million overnight and day visitors. That 2018 total was up 3.1% year over year. Overnight visitors accounted for 32.8 million of the 2018 total, including 25.3 million domestic overnight visitors and 7.5 million international overnight visitors. [Los Angeles Tourism / 2018 Quick Facts]
Los Angeles Tourism had also projected 31 million room-nights sold for 2023, equivalent to 102% of 2019 levels. This was a projection stated in the 2022 year-end results, rather than a reported final outcome. [Los Angeles Tourism / 2022 year-end results]
Tourism spending, jobs, and tax impact
Visitor activity generated $40.4 billion in total business sales in 2023. Los Angeles Tourism said this represented 106.9% of 2019 levels, meaning the spending measure had surpassed its pre-2019 benchmark even though total visitor volume had not fully done so. [Los Angeles Tourism / Discover Los Angeles]
Tourism also supported more than 530,000 tourism-related careers in 2023. The sector generated $3.2 billion in state and local tax dollars, and each Los Angeles County household saved $965 in annual state and local taxes according to the same tourism impact figures. [Los Angeles Tourism / Discover Los Angeles]
The 2022 results provide a dated comparison. Tourism generated $34.5 billion in total business sales, or 91% of 2019 levels. It supported more than 528,200 tourism-related careers and generated $3 billion in state and local taxes. Tourism contributed $287 million to the City of Los Angeles General Fund in 2022, while each Los Angeles County household saved $893 in annual state and local taxes. [Los Angeles Tourism / 2022 year-end results]
The Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board represents over 1,000 local tourism-related businesses. Discover Los Angeles describes tourism as one of the largest industries in L.A. County. [Discover Los Angeles / business page] The figures above include countywide economic and household measures where the cited source identifies Los Angeles County; they should not be read as city-only totals.
Hotels and accommodation demand
Hotel demand reached 30.2 million total room-nights sold in 2023. Hotel occupancy rose to 71.7%, and the average daily hotel rate reached $198. These are 2023 destination measures reported by Los Angeles Tourism. [Los Angeles Tourism / Discover Los Angeles]
In 2022, hotels sold nearly 30 million room-nights, equal to 96.3% of 2019 record levels. The 2022 year-end results also reported $34.5 billion in tourism business sales and 46.2 million total visitors, providing context for the accommodation recovery. [Los Angeles Tourism / 2022 year-end results]
The older 2018 benchmark included 104,053 hotel rooms at 1,036 properties across Los Angeles County. County hotel occupancy was 79.6%, average daily rate was $180.17, and revenue per available room was $143.49. Hotels sold 30,182,000 room-nights in 2018; room-nights sold increased by 812,000, or 2.8%, that year. [Los Angeles Tourism / 2018 Quick Facts]
These hotel figures use different measurement years and should not be treated as a single current time series. The 2018 occupancy and room inventory describe Los Angeles County in that year, while the 2023 occupancy, rate, and room-night figures describe the later tourism market reported by Los Angeles Tourism.
Domestic travel and visitor activities
Domestic visitors were the largest part of Los Angeles tourism in 2023, totaling 43.3 million. Domestic visitation had recovered to 100% of 2019 levels, compared with nearly 79% recovery for international visitation. [Los Angeles Tourism / Discover Los Angeles]
Approximately 67% of domestic overnight visitors drove to Los Angeles in calendar year 2023. This helps explain the importance of nearby feeder markets and road access to the region’s visitor economy. Los Angeles Tourism’s local and short-haul campaign targeted eight nearby markets: San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, Fresno, Santa Barbara, Palm Springs, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. The campaign had a $1 million spend in 2024. [Los Angeles Tourism / event-based marketing campaign]
More than half of Los Angeles’s top domestic feeder markets were within driving distance, according to Los Angeles Tourism. Among domestic overnight visitors, 63% experienced an entertainment activity during their visit and 35% participated in a sporting activity. These percentages describe visitor activities, not shares of all 2023 visitors. [Los Angeles Tourism / event-based marketing campaign]
The local campaign was part of the wider Now Playing effort. Los Angeles Tourism estimated that 330,000 French tourists would visit Los Angeles in 2024. The Now Playing campaign had generated more than $2 billion in incremental direct spending in Los Angeles, according to the campaign source. [Los Angeles Tourism / Now Playing France campaign]
International markets and visitor mix
International visitors totaled 5.8 million in 2023 and 4.3 million in 2022. The 2023 figure was nearly 79% recovered to 2019 levels, while the 2022 international figure was part of the 46.2 million total visitor count. [Los Angeles Tourism / Discover Los Angeles; Los Angeles Tourism / 2022 year-end results]
The detailed 2018 profile shows why international travelers matter to the local visitor economy. International tourists were 23% of overnight visitors but generated 49% of total overnight visitor spending. Total overnight visitor spending reached $22.7 billion in 2018. [Los Angeles Tourism / 2018 Quick Facts]
In 2018, China excluding Hong Kong sent 1.2 million visitors. Other reported origin totals included Mexico with 1,776,000 visitors, Canada with 780,000, Australia with 426,000, the UK with 382,000, Japan with 349,000, South Korea with 335,000, and France with 307,000. [Los Angeles Tourism / 2018 Quick Facts]
Additional 2018 origin figures included Germany at 237,000 visitors, Scandinavia at 190,000, the Middle East at 138,000, India at 130,000, and Brazil at 117,000. Total overseas visitors reached 4,962,000, while total international visitors reached 7,518,000. These are historical 2018 figures and are not presented as current market sizes. [Los Angeles Tourism / 2018 Quick Facts]
Airports and access to Los Angeles
Los Angeles International Airport handled 76.5 million passengers in fiscal 2024, with passenger traffic increasing 7.8%. Domestic passengers accounted for 69.1% of LAX traffic and international passengers accounted for 30.9%. [LAWA FY2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report]
The largest reported LAX carrier totals in fiscal 2024 were Delta with 15.0 million passengers, American Airlines with 11.6 million, United Airlines with 11.6 million, Southwest Airlines with 7.0 million, and Alaska Airlines with 4.8 million. Delta passenger traffic rose 10.3%, American’s rose 4.5%, and United’s rose 5.5%. Volaris carried 1.4 million passengers and ranked eighth overall. [LAWA FY2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report]
LAX departures and arrivals increased by 26,937 flights, or 5.5%, in fiscal 2024. Revenue landing pounds increased 5.7%, and the top three carriers by landing pounds contributed 40.4% of total revenue pounds. [LAWA FY2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report]
The 2018 airport snapshot covered more than LAX. LAX ranked as the second-busiest airport in the United States and handled 87,534,384 passengers. Hollywood Burbank Airport handled 5,263,972 passengers, Ontario International Airport handled 5,115,894, and Long Beach Airport handled 3,884,721. These airport figures are from 2018, while the LAX carrier and traffic measures above are for fiscal 2024. [Los Angeles Tourism / 2018 Quick Facts; LAWA FY2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report]
Conventions, campaigns, and future capacity
The Los Angeles Convention Center currently hosts nearly 200 events annually and attracts 2 million visitors annually. Its expansion was expected to draw over $165 million in visitor spending each year, create 7,445 construction jobs, and create 2,147 ongoing jobs. These are expectations associated with the expansion, not reported realized outcomes. [Los Angeles City Tourism Department / L.A. City Council expansion article]
IPW 2024 brought more than 5,000 people from 70 countries to the Los Angeles Convention Center. More than 10,000 business appointments took place at the event. Los Angeles Tourism separately reported that past IPW events had generated more than $5.5 billion in future travel to the United States; that figure refers to past events and future U.S. travel, not necessarily spending in Los Angeles alone. [Los Angeles City Tourism Department / IPW 2024 in Los Angeles; Los Angeles Tourism / 24 Reasons to Visit Los Angeles in 2024]
The City of Los Angeles Tourism Department set a goal of welcoming 50 million visitors again by 2024. It also targeted $300 million in transient occupancy tax revenue toward the General Fund during 2024. The Tourism Master Plan includes 22 recommendations. These are city plans and targets, distinct from the reported 2023 visitor and economic results. [Los Angeles City Tourism Department / About]