California reported record spending by tourists last year, as the Golden State’s tourism industry completed its recovery from the pandemic.
Governor Gavin Newsom and Visit California CEO Caroline Beteta announced today that travel spending in California reached an all-time high of $150.4 billion in 2023, surpassing the previous record of $144.9 billion spent in 2019 – the last full year before the pandemic shut down tourist attractions across the state and nation.
Spending was up 5.6% from 2022, and state officials said that California “continues to have the largest market share of tourism in the nation.”
Newsom announced the numbers in a social media photo-op atop the San Francisco Bay’s Golden Gate Bridge.
“From our world-renowned coastline, to the world’s tallest trees, to our iconic cities and theme parks, California is the nation’s coming attraction,” Newsom said. “Visitors from all over the world are coming here to experience…