Tourism industry sunny spot in California jobs picture - Bizjournals.com
The tourism industry is a bright spot in California's jobs picture, according to tourism board Visit California.
Just as the sun shines in the most popular destinations in California, there's bright news for the tourism industry.
The leisure and hospitality sector added 1,500 jobs in August, according to Visit California, the state's recently rebranded tourism board.
Meanwhile, the state's jobless rate increased to 12.1 percent.
"The fact that the travel and tourism industry is holding strong despite a general economic downturn demonstrates that the state is a premier domestic and international destination,' said Caroline Beteta, president and chief executive officer of Visit California. "People come here seeking the California experience."
Hotel room occupancy in California increased by 5 percent from the year before, according to visit California. The state has also seen a 7 percent growth in travel spending.
The number of people traveling from overseas to California also grew 14 percent from 2010.
The tourism board said such visitors are important to the states' economy because they stay longer and spend more than the typical visitor from this country.
In 2010, spending for travel and tourism was $95.1 billion, and supported jobs for 873,000 people in the state, as well as contributed to local and state taxes, according to Visit California.
Posted by Melissa Wiese. Contact her at mwiese@bizjournals.com or 916-558-7866
28 Sep, 2011--
Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNFzz5hhdOgTax-zxMu0pJAaGc5IGQ&url=http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2011/09/27/tourism-industry-sunny-spot-calif-jobs.html
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