Los Angeles is one of the tourism hotspots in the United States. In 2016 alone, 47.3 million people visited Los Angeles County, the sixth record-breaking year in a row. That not only brings in a lot of money for Los Angeles and for California overall, but for the U.S. as a whole. The United States’ travel industry generates $2.1 trillion for its economy.
That’s why the region’s tourism board, Discover Los Angeles, has put together a 93-second video to kick-off their “Everyone Is Welcome” campaign, designed to assure foreign visitors that L.A. welcomes everyone. The video will appear on social media sites in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Britain, and Australia.
“Diversity and inclusivity have always been the cornerstones of Los Angeles culture, but there has never been a more crucial time to reinforce those points,” Ernest Wooden, Jr., chief executive of Discover Los Angeles, told the Los Angeles Times.
While the campaign doesn’t mention President Trump or his travel bans specifically, that’s what inspired it. The travel bans could have a cooling effect on tourism to the United States. While concert proof of losses hasn’t been found yet, both travelers and people in the tourism industry expect that fewer people will be coming to the U.S., and that Americans abroad might face more harassment, especially in the Middle East.
The “anti-welcome” message of the bans and other political activities in 2017 could cost L.A. especially. Over three years, they could see 800,000 fewer foreign visitors, according to a forecast by Tourism Economics. Not only that, but that lack of international visitors could mean a loss on the order of $736 million in tourism spending.
As the legal battle over Trump’s travel bans continues, the fate of the American tourism industry, among other things, remains to be seen. However, it is certainly in the interest of destinations like L.A. to make it clear that they’re open for business—from all people, no matter where they’re from.
Photo: Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. Credit: Checubus / Shutterstock.com