Who’s Coming To Visit California This Year?
With the COVID-19 pandemic, many places, including California, saw a sharp decline in their economies. Why? Because many businesses heavily rely on revenue from tourism. The vaccine’s release and booster shots did a lot to set people’s minds at ease, and experts predict that 2022 will see many people return to vacationing abroad.
Now that the mask mandate has been lifted statewide, let’s take a look at California tourism and how people can safely return to visiting.
California Tourism
Plenty of cities in California rely heavily on tourism to generate revenue. The global shutdown associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on cities like Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and many more. Before the pandemic, California tourism contributed $144.9 billion to the state GDP in 2019 and supported over one million jobs.
The vast majority of visitors are from other parts of the United States. In 2019, almost $120 billion of the California tourism revenue came from domestic travel. As of 2021, tourism spending was at approximately 69% of 2019. However, current predictions hold that domestic travel will completely recover in 2022, so things are definitely looking up.
Steeped In History
Everyone knows that Mexico and the Mexican people are deeply entrenched in California’s history. However, they aren’t the only ones. Considering that California is the nation’s most populous state, you might be surprised to know that there is no single ethnic majority.
Given its coastal placement, it shouldn’t be a surprise that California hosts a large community of Pacific Islanders, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Cambodian people. Additionally, many indigenous tribes lived in California prior to the California genocide and continue to reside there today. Typically, China and Mexico residents contribute the highest amounts to California tourism at approximately $4 billion a year each.
While there are plenty of cultures worldwide that have deeply impacted California’s history, it may take a little while for international visitors to return. Current predictions show that international tourism will rise to 53% of what it was in 2019 and will be slower to return to normal.
Safety First
In addition to the mask mandate being lifted on a state level, the majority of restaurants, salons, and museums no longer require proof of vaccination. However, some businesses have extra standards to keep their employees and customers safe. We strongly recommend researching your destinations beforehand.
Many restaurants prefer or require customers to reserve their spots in advance, so call or check ahead of time. Plus, just because California doesn’t require masks doesn’t mean that certain stores or venues won’t require them. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!
Why not try a driving tour of Los Angeles or Malibu for the ultimate safe vacation? With Wayfarer’s guided tours, you can learn all of the exciting secrets of the area without ever leaving your car.
Tag us @wayfarer_journey or #knowtheworld and show us how you decided to explore the great state of California!
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