Dear Friends:

It was wonderful seeing so many of you, our members, at our third annual Los Angeles Market Outlook Forum late last month. This year’s event brought record attendance numbers - nearly 800 members of the local tourism community – which is a true testament of your dedication to L.A.’s tourism industry.

We unveiled our updated visitor forecasts at the event as we expect visitation to Los Angeles to set a new record for tourism with more than 45 million total visitors in 2015. You might not be surprised to hear that China will continue to be the most dynamic market driving international visitation.

As one of the preeminent gateways for travel between China and the U.S., it was fitting that just last week, Los Angeles served as host for the ninth annual U.S.-China Leadership Summit. In partnership with Brand USA, Visit California and the China National Tourism Administration, nearly 200 tourism leaders from the U.S. and China converged here to focus on tourism cooperation and mutually beneficial marketing initiatives.

It’s without question L.A. Tourism’s marketing strategies and initiatives in China are seen as industry-leading and we must ensure to protect our market share in the years to come.

Be sure to save the date for our next Member Mixer on Thursday, October 22 – it’s a great opportunity to network with a wide range of tourism and hospitality related business from the L.A. area. Be sure to check the “What’s Coming” section of the newsletter for more details.

These are just a few of the many updates on L.A. Tourism and our industry that we’re sharing with you in this month’s newsletter. As always, LATCB will be here, working on behalf of all of our members and partners to keep the world coming to Los Angeles.

Best wishes,

Ernest Wooden Jr.
President and CEO
Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board