Wondering how many people visit California every year? Take a look at these interesting and up-to-date statistics about travel and tourism in California.
With 268.1 million domestic visits and 17.9 million overseas arrivals, California is no doubt one of the most popular travel destinations in the US.
But with so many amazing things to do in California, from cool beaches and hiking trails to incredible eats and glamorous landmarks, it's not really surprising!
Do you want to understand more about travel and tourism in California?
Including how many people visit each year, how much they spend, and where they stay?
Let’s take a look at its most interesting and recent travel statistics.
Here they are…
Sources: Attached with each stat is the source article or data. For a full list of all the sources used, head to the bottom of the post.
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In a way, yes, it does. The tourism industry supported 927 thousand jobs in 2021, which represents roughly 2.38% of the local population.
Is tourism big in California?
Tourism spending in California contributes 11.2% of all travel spending in the U.S.
What are some reasons people would travel to CA?
Some of the biggest reasons why people travel to California include the excellent weather, sceneries, beaches, long roads, and its many hiking destinations.
California Travel & Tourism Main Statistics
There were 17.9 million international visitations to California in 2019.
Most visitors to California are travelling domestically, with 268.1 million domestic visits in 2019.
Tourism spending in California contributes 11.2% of all travel spending in the U.S.
Visitors to California spend the most in the food services industry, amounting to $25.9 billion in 2021.
The total international arrivals in California in January 2023 was 325,557, 116.4% more than January of the previous year, but still 44% lower than in January 2019.
The top three international markets for tourism in California are Mexico (7.6 million annual visitors), Canada (1.6 million), and China (1.6 million).
In terms of travel spending, the top county in California is Los Angeles County, which recorded $32.7 billion in 2019.
The average daily rate (ADR) for hotels in California is $187 in 2022, an all-time high.
Visits to California should continue to grow to 279.1 million in 2023, or 8% more from 2022.
The annual total visits to California is estimated to increase by 5% to 292.3 million in 2024, or 321 million by 2027.
California inbound & outbound tourism statistics
1. There were 17.9 million international visitations to California in 2019.
[Visit California]
2. Most visitors to California are travelling domestically, with 268.1 million domestic visits in 2019.
[Visit California]
3. During the peak of the pandemic in 2020, the number of domestic visits to California dropped by roughly half, to 136.9 million.
[Visit California]
4. International travel was even more impacted. In 2020, only 3.7 million overseas visits were recorded, or 21% of the 2019 figure.
[Visit California]
5. In 2021, domestic air travel to destinations in California rose by 57%, from 14.1 million to a total of 22.1 million arrivals.
[Visit California]
6. In December 2022, the top 10 airports in California recorded 15,919,321 passengers, 15% more than 2021.
[Visit California]
7. In total in 2022, the air traffic in these 10 airports were at 191.4 million.
[Visit California]
8. 82.2% of all airport passengers in California are domestic travellers, while 17.8% fly in from international destinations.
[Visit California]
California tourism economic impact
What percent of California's economy is tourism?
9. The annual international travel spending in California rose by 213% in 2022, to $17 billion. This is still well below the pre-pandemic level of $28.1 billion.
[Visit California]
10. Meanwhile, domestic visitors to California spent a total of $116.8 billion in 2019.
[Visit California]
11. Domestic travel spending fell to just $59.8 billion in 2020, before recovering to $117.9 billion in 2022.
[Visit California]
12. Tourism spending in California contributes 11.2% of all travel spending in the U.S.
13. Visitors to California spend the most in the food services industry, amounting to $25.9 billion in 2021.
[Visit California]
14. The next largest industry segment for tourism spending in California is accommodation ($23.3 billion in 2021).
[Visit California]
15. Tax revenue from the Californian travel industry has risen to $15.0 billion in 2021. This is 23.1% higher than the prior year.
[Visit California]
Travel-generated tax revenue in California still hasn’t recovered to the pre-pandemic level (still down 25.4 percent).
16. Travel agencies in California are predicted to hit $5.196,1 million in revenue by 2024.
[Statista]
Travel industry employment in California
17. In California in 2021, the tourism industry provided 927 thousand jobs in 2021, a 6.4% increase from 2020.
[Visit California]
18. As of July 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau recorded California's population at 39,029,342, which means that 2.38% of the population is employed in the tourism industry.
[U.S. Census Bureau]
19. However, tourism employment is still down by 21.2% compared to 2019.
[Visit California]
20. The accommodation and food services sectors supported a total of more than 534 thousand jobs in California.
[Visit California]
21. This amounts to $23.8 billion in job earnings from the accommodation and food services sectors alone.
[Visit California]
California travel and tourism market profile
22. The total international arrivals in California in January 2023 was 325,557, 116.4% more than January of the previous year, but still 44% lower than in January 2019.
[Visit California]
23. In January 2023, there were 21,254 port of entry arrivals from Mexico to California, which is 4.3% higher than January 2022.
[Visit California]
24. The top three international markets for tourism in California are Mexico (7.6 million annual visitors), Canada (1.6 million), and China (1.6 million).
[Visit California]
After Mexico, Canada provides the second largest number of international visitors to California (1.6 million annual visitors).
25. Before the pandemic, in 2019, there were 754,000 visitor trips from the UK to California, amounting to $1.4 billion of visitor spending.
27. In terms of domestic travel, the biggest source of visitors to California outside of its own state is Arizona, with 7.4 million annual visitors.
[Visit California]
28. Meanwhile, California itself contributes 166 million visitors per year.
[Visit California]
Top tourist destinations in California
What is the most visited site in California?
29. In terms of travel spending, the top county in California is Los Angeles County, which recorded $32.7 billion in 2019.
[Travel Matters]
Los Angeles records the highest travel spending by visitors, which makes sense because there are a lot of things to do there.
30. LA is followed by Orange County, with $14.5 billion in travel spending.
[Travel Matters]
In Orange County, Anaheim is the top city powered by tourism.
31. 62.41% of all arrivals in California were at the Los Angeles port of entry.
[Visit California]
32. 34.7% were in San Francisco, while the other 2.9% were through San Diego.
[Visit California]
34.7% of all arrivals to California were made through San Francisco. It’s definitely a popular city among tourists are lots of great things to do in San Francisco.
33. The famous Pacific Crest Trail across California, Washington, and Oregon measures 2,650 miles long and is popular among backpackers and solo travellers in California.
[PCTA]
34. In 2021, a total of 7200 long-distance permits were issued for people traveling 500 miles of the PCT or more in one single trip.
[PCTA]
Only a small percentage of backpackers and hikers attempt to do long-distance hiking. The number of long-distance permits for the Pacific Crest Trail is once more nearing the pre-pandemic figure of 7888.
35. California is a massive business travel destination. Santa Barbara has been named the second most expensive city in the US for business travellers, with a daily cost of $518.
[Statista]
After New York, Santa Barbara is the most expensive destination for business travellers in the US ($518 daily cost in Q4 2021).
39. Room demand in California in 2022 is 3% above the 2019 pre-pandemic levels.
[Visit California]
40. In relation to total share of US room demand, California makes up 11.6% of all room demands in the country.
[Visit California]
41. In May 2020, 8.3% of all Airbnb guests in California were international, compared to 19.2% in May of 2019.
[Statista]
International tourism had declined significantly during the pandemic, as shown by the share of overseas Airbnb guests of only 8.3% in May 2020 (in comparison to domestic guests).
Airbnb itself is one of the most popular vacation rental sites among travellers today.
The future of tourism in California
42. California tourist spending is expected to reach $154.4 billion in 2023, exceeding the previous record of $144.9 billion in 2019.
[Visit California]
43. Moreover, the annual travel spending is forecasted to grow to $190.8 billion by 2027.
[Visit California]
44. Visits to California should continue to grow to 279.1 million in 2023, or 8% more from 2022.
[Visit California]
45. The annual total visits to California is estimated to increase by 5% to 292.3 million in 2024, or 321 million by 2027.
[Visit California]
46. Overall, leisure travel is expected to fully return to 100% of the 2019 level in 2023, while business travel will recover to 88%.
[Visit California]
A lot of business conferences and meetings have moved online, but business travel is still expected to recover to 88% of the 2019 level by 2023.
Conclusion
California, like most other travel destinations worldwide, was inevitably affected by the recent pandemic.
But as you can see from the stats above, it’s quickly recovering!
It may not be the most affordable place for a vacation, but it certainly has its appeal. You may want to check out these cheap places to travel to instead.
Whether you’re planning a trip to California or wanting to learn more about it, we hope this post has been useful.
Disclaimer: Fully research your destination prior to travel, or any products prior to purchase. We can accept no responsibility for anything you experience as a result of the information found on this website. Some posts may contain affiliate links, which means we receive a small commission for some purchases, at no additional expense to you. Read more here.
I'm an Economics graduate with a passion for travel. In 2016 I decided to ditch the office environment, work from my laptop and travel to every country in the world. You'll find me working out of a cafe in Bali, perhaps on a riverboat in Brazil or maybe even an airport lounge in New Delhi.
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