LOS ANGELES, Calif.–Tourists visited Los Angeles in record numbers last year, injecting billions of dollars into the local economy, according to a newly released study commissioned by the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board.
The 41.4 million people who traveled to the city in 2012 represented a 2.5 percent increase over the previous year.
Local and international visitors to Los Angeles spent $11.9 billion on lodging, dining and transportation combined, with shopping, entertainment and other activities bringing the spending total to $16.5 billion, according to Micronomics, the firm that did the research.
Leisure and hospitality was the strongest performing industry when it came to job creation, with a growth of 10,000 new jobs in that sector. Tourism activity also supported 324,000 existing jobs.
Another $14 billion in secondary spending was also attributed to the tourism industry, with the total economic impact of the tourism industry put at $30.5 billion, according to the report.
Tourism activity also generated 26.62 million hotel room nights, as well as $1 billion in tax revenue for the county.
“This report really demonstrates the powerful impact of an increase in just one sector of our local economy tourism,” said Ernest Wooden, president and CEO of the tourism board. “The growth seen in visitation to Los Angeles in 2012 has led to a corresponding growth in employment and local tax revenue.”
