“These figures don’t even account for the recent layoffs of Disney or the recent job reductions,” she said. “… (California is) the number 1 travel destination and when we are hit, we are hit hard.”
Across the state in 2019, visitors spent $144.9 billion in California travel. This year. the revenue is projected to dip to $66.1 billion in spending. The job outlook has shifted from a 1.2 million strong industry to an estimated 594,000 jobs.
“Many of these jobs will not come back once we are out of this state of emergency,” said Emellia Zamani, the director of government affairs and public policy for the California Travel Association.
She noted she is working with legislative leaders, including with North Coast state Sen. Mike McGuire and other “tourism champions” “a $45 million allocation” to Visit California’s marketing efforts.
She said a similar allocation after 9/11 was successful and helped tourism be “one of the fastest industries to recover.”
“The profound economic disruption caused by the pandemic has been felt by all sectors of our economy, but the tourism industry is bearing more of a burden than most,” said Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton), said. “As California’s post-pandemic future begins to take shape, reviving our tourism and travel industry will play a vital role in restarting the economy and empowering the state.”