Following January's wildfires and Trump's harassment of international tourists, Los Angeles' tourism-driven economy is in a shambles.
Restaurants are closing and hotels are struggling as international tourism numbers fall through the floor. The trade wars started by the Trump administration, matched with growing fears that the fascists at ICE and Border and Customs Protection will disappear travellers into our for-profit system of incarcerating them, have folks turning to other options. Tourism is up to nearly every other destination in the world, as the US seems closed for a drastic and ugly remodeling.
"As one of the world's most diverse and welcoming destinations — as well as one of the primary gateways to the United States — Los Angeles has long enjoyed strong visitation from around the globe. With more than 510,000 Angelenos and over 1,000 local businesses relying on tourism for their livelihoods, we are concerned about any factors that could negatively impact perceptions of the U.S. as a preferred travel destination," the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board said in a statement to SFGATE…
…LAWA CEO John Ackerman told KNBC-TV recently that flight bookings from Canada to the U.S. fell by more than 70% in early 2025, forcing airlines to reduce 300,000 seats from LAX through October.
"The LA Tourism and Convention Bureau is anticipating year-over-year reductions in total international visitors to LA by between 25 and 30%," Ackerman said. He added that Mexican air tourism was also down 24% so far this year.
SF Gate
