Tourists still enjoy the bright lights of New York City. They also like to climb the hills and walk among the stars in Los Angeles. These reasons are just a few that led to both cities breaking records in tourism last year.
The Big Apple welcomed 65.2 million visitors in 2018, a 2.4 million visitor increase from 2017, according to financial company Tiffany & Company.
The City of Angels also won in the tourism game, bringing in 50 million visitors last year for the first time. Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board President & CEO Ernest Wooden Jr. and other city leaders announced the news hologram.
“Los Angeles is a place where everyone is welcome, and tourism strengthens our diversity, grows our economy, and supports good-paying jobs for families across our city,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said. “Surpassing 50 million annual visitors two years ahead of schedule is the latest milestone in our ongoing work to bring Los Angeles to the world, and the world to Los Angeles.”
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Tourism growth in both cities can be attributed to numerous factors. NYC & Company has partnered with Mastercard over American Express as the preferred payment method. The city also expects numbers to keep rising thanks to Restaurant Week and Broadway Week drawing large visitor numbers, as well as annual Pride festivities being hosted by WorldPride. Los Angeles has been taking major strides to make visitors more comfortable. Los Angeles International Airport has added more seats to international flights plus added close to 2,000 new rooms in different hotels.
Los Angeles’ tourism global campaign, ‘L.A. Loves,’ brings an amplified welcome message and has a new initiative called ‘Everyone is Welcome.’
