• Facebook
  • Google Plus
  • Instagram
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter

Menu

Skip to content
  • About
  • Staff
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • FAQ
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
Header image

MyNewsLA.comLogo

Breaking news for greater Los Angeles and Orange County

Menu

Skip to content
  • Crime
  • Government
  • Business
  • Education
  • Sports
  • Hollywood
  • Life
  • OC
  • Judge Says Fired Princess Cruises Employee's Suit Needs Full Redo
  • Dodger Stadium Opens as COVID-19 Vaccination Site; 5 More Large Centers Coming
  • Coroner's Inquest Upholds Homicide Death Of 18-Year-Old By Deputy
  • City Council President Cancels Wednesday Meeting Due To Threats of Violence
  • USPS To Temporarily Remove Some Southland Mailboxes Prior to Inauguration

Home » Government » This Article

Big bucks for record LA tourism, but are all those visitors getting in your way?

Posted by Debbie L. Sklar on January 11, 2017 in Government | Leave a response
Share this article:
Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail
Photo by John Schreiber.
Photo by John Schreiber.

Los Angeles set records in 2016 for visitors, travelers passing through Los Angeles International Airport and cargo moving through the Port of Los Angeles, city and tourism officials announced Wednesday, but at least one City Council member warned that hoards of tourists could cause trouble for some neighborhoods.

“This is L.A.’s moment. Los Angeles is welcoming more visitors to our city and passengers through our airport than ever before, our nation-leading port is making L.A. an even more critical trade gateway to the world, and we are experiencing the kind of job growth that we haven’t seen in a generation,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said.

“We’re working hard to keep up the momentum, by going after and landing one-of-a-kind attractions like the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. And here’s the best part: There’s even more opportunity on the horizon, and an even bigger role for L.A. to play on the world stage,” he said.

But not everyone was celebrating the record tourism numbers. Councilman David Ryu introduced a motion at the City Council meeting asking staff to report back on a strategy to relieve the impacts of tourism on some neighborhoods.

“Our city must do more to protect neighborhoods that are negatively affected by our increasing tourism numbers,” said Ryu, whose district includes the tourist attractions like the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory. “Los Angeles is an iconic city and is an increasingly attractive destination for many tourists. However, while we benefit from increased jobs and revenue we also need to use that revenue to create smart strategies to safeguard negatively impacted communities and to create better experiences for tourists.”

The motion calls for a feasibility study on creating staffed visitor centers at popular destinations, as well as redirecting tourism revenue and raising new tourism revenue to assist with funding tourist-assistance efforts, traffic mitigation and tourist education campaigns.

According to the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, the city had 47.3 million visitors in 2016, which was an increase of nearly 4 percent over 2015, and had the sixth consecutive year of a record-breaking number of visitors.

Los Angeles also became the first U.S. city to have more than 1 million visitors from China, second only to Mexico in the number of visitors.

“Los Angeles continues to establish itself as one of the most desirable destinations in the world for tourists and business people alike,” Councilman Paul Krekorian said. Whether it’s the sunny beaches and scenic landscape, our diverse communities and cuisines, our rapidly growing technology sector or the lure of movie magic as the global entertainment capital, Los Angeles has something to offer everyone who visits.”

Like this story? Don’t miss any breaking news from MyNewsLA.com. Sign up here for your free newsletter.

 

About 80.9 million travelers passed through LAX, an increase of more than 8 percent over the previous year, marking the third consecutive year of a record-breaking increase. The Port of Los Angeles also reported the highest amount of cargo in its 100-year history, giving it the busiest year of any port in the Western Hemisphere.

“I salute the strong collaboration among the labor workforce, our terminals and the many stakeholders in the supply chain who kept cargo moving speedily and efficiently during a record-breaking year,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “To handle this much volume without congestion issues is an extraordinary accomplishment and bodes well for the future of the San Pedro Bay complex.”

The tourism numbers were announced at a news conference at Universal Studios Hollywood, which also set records for attendance in 2016, thanks in part to the opening of its Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction.

Ron Meyer, vice chairman of NBCUniversal, said the park’s $1.5 billion in upgrades led to “record-breaking attendance, created thousandsof jobs and had a positive impact on the region’s economy.”

The economic news comes as Los Angeles is in the hunt to host the 2024 Olympics. A recent study commissioned by the LA 2024 Bid Committee found hosting the Games could increase the city’s economic output by up to $11.2 billion.

“The continued increase in LA’s already impressive tourism numbers reinforces our belief that the City of Angels would serve as the perfect stage for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” LA 2024 Chairman Casey Wasserman said.

—City News Service

Big bucks for record LA tourism, but are all those visitors getting in your way? was last modified: January 11th, 2017 by Debbie L. Sklar

>> Want to read more stories like this? Get our Free Daily Newsletters Here!

Follow us:
Facebooktwitterrss
Posted in Government | Tagged LAX, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, number, port of LA, records, tourism

Advertisement

Get The Latest News by Email!

Sign up here for our free newsletters. We’ll send you the latest headlines every morning and every weekday afternoon.

 
FORECAST FOR LOS ANGELES
57°
Clear
Feels like: 57°F
Wind: 1mph W
Humidity: 31%
Pressure: 29.98"Hg
UV index: 0
SunMonTue
84/54°F
77/55°F
70/55°F
Weather forecast Los Angeles, California ▸

Most Popular Today

  • Rape Victim Unconscious, But She’s Dead! Suspect Nabbed, Unclear When Victim Died In Pomona 4,400 views
  • Evacuations Ordered as 600-Acre Fire Threatens Mountain Center in Riverside County 3,200 views
  • Lancaster Man Killed in Crash Involving Big Rig 2,600 views
  • Man Arrested On Suspicion Of Rape In Pomona 2,000 views
  • Motorcyclist Killed in Irvine Crash 1,800 views

©2021 CalNews Inc.

Menu

  • About
  • Staff
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • FAQ
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service