ORLANDO, Fla. (June 2, 2015) – Los Angeles has been designated the host city for U.S. Travel’s IPW 2024 and the ninth annual U.S.-China Tourism Leadership Summit 2015. These announcements, along with several exciting destination developments from Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (LATCB), were shared during a series of press conferences at IPW 2015.
IPW, the travel industry’s premier international marketplace and largest generator of inbound travel, will return to Los Angeles in 2024, which last hosted the event in 2012.
“As one of the world’s premier travel destinations, we’re ready to roll out the red carpet once again for IPW 2024,” said Ernest Wooden Jr., president and CEO of Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board. “L.A. is a vibrant metropolitan hub with scores of new museums and hotels, critically-acclaimed restaurants and world-class attractions. On behalf of our tourism industry partners, we are thrilled to have IPW back in our destination.”
Brand USA, in partnership with the China National Tourism Administration, Visit California and LATCB, will bring the U.S.-China Tourism Leadership Summit to Los Angeles for the first time Sept. 8-11, 2015. Approximately 250 industry leaders will gather to discuss marketing strategies and highlight a new era of U.S.-Chinese tourism.
“We value the Chinese market and there’s no better setting than Los Angeles for delegates and industry leaders to strengthen their relationships and exchange new ideas during this summit,” said Mr. Wooden.
LATCB shared several countywide and citywide updates, which will be critical to reaching 50 million visitors by 2020. Among them are: new hotel developments, public transit system expansion, LAX airport modernization as well as new attractions and experiences.
Hotel Developments
There are currently 17 new hotels are under construction and another 22 in final planning stages countywide. These 39 hotel projects will deliver more than 7,900 new hotel rooms to the L.A. area. Two standout projects are InterContinental’s Wilshire Grand Center and the expansion of the J.W. Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE.
- Wilshire Grand Center will stand 73 stories tall and feature 900 rooms, 400,000 square feet of office space, new shops and restaurants. It will be the tallest building west of Chicago when it opens in 2017.
- J.W. Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE will expand to create an additional 755 rooms, making it California’s second largest hotel when it opens. The project, combined with the existing property and attached Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles, will offer a total of 1,756 rooms and more than 200,000 square feet of function space.
Airport
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) continues its multi-billion dollar modernization program with more than 20 projects projected to last through 2019.
- The ongoing transformation reimagines the guest experience from arrival across all terminals, including new taxi lanes, in-line baggage handling and screening systems to make travel through LAX safer, faster and more convenient.
- The major U.S. airlines at LAX have also committed to guest-service improvements by investing more than 1.5 billion dollars collectively to renovate their respective terminals.
For additional information on LAX’s modernization program, please click here.
Public Transportation
A number of projects are currently underway that will expand L.A.’s public transportation network, making it easier for visitors to get across the city, car-free.
- Opening early 2016, Metro’s Expo Line will extend light rail service to Santa Monica, with seven new stations serving popular destinations in the Westside. Riders will be able to travel from Downtown to Santa Monica in 46 minutes.
- Construction continues for the extension of Metro’s Purple Line, which will provide a high-capacity, high-speed option for those traveling to and from destinations such as Beverly Hills, Century City and Westwood.
For additional information on Car Free L.A., please click here.
Attractions, Culture and Shopping
The entertainment capital of the world will to add to its robust collection of attractions and experiences.
- This year, Universal Studios Hollywood’sSM epic transformation continues with the introduction of dynamic new thrill rides and themed immersive lands. This includes the recently opened “Springfield,” adjacent to the popular “The Simpsons Ride,” which captures the spirit of the hometown of America’s favorite animated family; and the upcoming “Fast & Furious – Supercharged” thrill ride as the grand finale to the world-famous Studio Tour. The destination’s epic transformation will become realized in Spring 2016 when the much-anticipated arrival of “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” opens at The Entertainment Capital of L.A.
- Built by philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad, The Broad museum is the new jewel in the crown of the Grand Avenue cultural corridor. Opening Sept. 20, 2015, the museum will be home to nearly 2,000 works of prominent postwar and contemporary art from The Broad Art Foundation and the Broads’ personal collections.
- The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is building the world's leading movie museum in the heart of Los Angeles, expected to open in 2017. Located on the campus of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the six-story Academy Museum will contain state-of-the-art galleries, exhibition spaces, movie theaters, educational areas and special event spaces.
- The Petersen Automotive Museum is transforming into one of the finest automotive museums in the world. Reopening its doors this December, the new Petersen will seamlessly blend cutting-edge interactive technology with rare and historically significant vehicles, and will feature 22 new galleries.
For additional museum news in L.A., please click here.
- Adding to the limitless shopping experiences in Los Angeles, The Village at Westfield Topanga will deliver a new, open-air, central gathering place for shopping, dining, events and entertainment this September in the San Fernando Valley.
- The Bloc, an exciting open-air shopping and dining complex will debut in Downtown Los Angeles this October. The new 180 million dollar multi-level public plaza complex will feature a transformed flagship Macy’s department store, unique retail concepts and several restaurants.
Los Angeles broke tourism records for the fourth consecutive year in 2014 welcoming 44.2 million visitors, an increase of 2 million from 2013. International visitation also reached new heights with 6.5 million visitors.
About Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board
Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board is a private, non-profit business association whose primary mission is to market and promote Los Angeles as the premier site for leisure travel, meetings and conventions as the City’s official tourism marketing organization. For more information, visit the official visitor information website of Los Angeles at discoverLosAngeles.com, join the more than one million people who follow L.A. Tourism’s Facebook page at facebook.com/LosAngelesFan, or follow @discoverLA on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
Media Contact
Jamie Foley
Vice President, Global Communications
Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board
jfoley@latourism.org
Shant Apelian
Manager, Corporate Communications
Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board
sapelian@latourism.org