California’s tourism economy generated $150.4 billion in spending last year, surpassing the record $144.9 billion spent in 2019, according to a new study from Visit California.

The “Economic Impact of Travel in California,” prepared by Dean Runyan Associates, detailed spending that is 3.8% higher than 2019, a key measure as it is the year the preceded the pandemic, which quickly left 500,000 tourism and hospitality workers out of jobs.

Spending exceeded 2019 levels in 34 out of 58 counties. Three of California’s four international gateways – San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles counties – exceeded 2019 travel spending levels, while San Francisco was 97.2% recovered.

“California tourism is back where it belongs – setting records and providing for the workers, business owners and all Californians who depend on the travel industry as a cornerstone of our state’s economy,” said Caroline Beteta, president and CEO of Visit California, the state’s tourism marketing organization.

The report’s release was timed to the start of California Tourism Month, a designation adopted by the legislature in 2016 to recognize the contributions of the top tourism economy in the U.S.

The $12.7 billion in state and local tax revenue generated by visitors in 2023 marked a 3% increase in spending over 2019 and a 5.6% year-over-year difference.

Researchers also estimated that tax revenue generated by travel in 2023 saved every California household $966.

Tourism created 64,900 new jobs during the year, bringing total industry employment to 1.155 million. That’s 98% of 2019 levels, before the pandemic shut downs.

International visitors spent $24.3 billion in California in 2023, a 38% increase over 2022 but 15% below the $28.6 billion peak in 2018. Travelers from China and other parts of Asia have been slow to return after the pandemic, hindering full recovery from the international sector.

Visit California has reopened offices in 13 international markets, and with the goal of attracting more international visits, the state this week hosted IPW, an international inbound travel industry trade show, in Los Angeles.

Visit California launched in March “The Ultimate Playground,” its first new global brand platform in more than a decade. Grounded in research from the National Institute for Play that says traveling is a proven benefit to one’s physical and mental well-being, the slogan hints at how the state’s playful lifestyle, paired with its abundance of experiences, create the ultimate playground.

Note: Photo credit, inset – A view of Balboa Park looking south toward downtown San Diego, sandiego.org