It was all glitz and glamour at this year’s Emmy Awards in Los Angeles and whilst the celebrities took home their awards, the City of Angels is expecting more Aussie tourists than ever.
Last year United Airlines partnered with HLO and decided to reward six top achievers to a once in a lifetime experience at the Emmy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles and the bright lights, celebrities, film and TV backlot tours and one-of-a-kind attractions, is making the City of Angels an increasingly popular destination for Aussies.
And despite a continued falling Aussie dollar versus the greenback, according to the destination’s 2016 tourism market outlook, LA is expected to welcome some 45 million visitors next year.
The record breaking forecast is an increase of 2.3 visitors this year and is likely to be driven by international travellers, especially those from Australia.
Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board said it expects Aussie arrivals to climb by 4.5 percent next year.
This growth is predicted to come from increased air services between Australia and the USA thanks to Qantas and American Airlines’ extended agreement. The partnership will see the Flying Kangaroo reintroduce services to San Francisco while American Airlines maintains capacity on the Sydney to La route.
There’s also the introduction of major attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood such as the Fast & Furious ride and Harry Potter World.
Universal Parks & Resorts Regional Manager, Tristan Freedman, told KarryOn that new attractions, particularly Harry Potter World, is expected to being a ‘huge upsurge’ in visitors over the coming 12 months.
Also revealed at the Market Outlook Forum last week, LA Tourism said total visitor spend in Los Angeles is projected to grow 5.2 percent from US$19.6 billion last year to more than US$20 billion in 2015.
LA Tourism’s CEO, Ernest Wooden Jr., said the destination is now on track to achieve its goal of 50 million visitors by 2020.
However, the tourism boss stressed it was vital the destination continue to focus on delivering new and updated infrastructure and hotel development.
“It’s imperative… to showcase Los Angeles as a desirable destination to our visitors and accommodate the growth in visitation.”
Ernest Wooden Jr., LA Tourism CEO
