Central Coast is a top California travel spot. How much money is spent in SLO County?
Tourism brought more than $2 billion to San Luis Obispo County in 2023 as California saw a resurgence in visitors following the COVID-19 pandemic.
That’s according to a new report released by nonprofit travel industry organization Visit California.
In 2023, the Golden State generated $150.4 billion in travel spending, according to “The Economic Impact of Travel in California,” the report commissioned by Visit California and prepared by Dean Runyan Associates.
That’s 3.8% more than the $144.9 billion spent in 2019, and 5.6% more than the $142.5 billion spent in 2022.
“California tourism is back where it belongs – setting records and providing for the workers, business owners and all Californians who depend on the travel industry as a cornerstone of our state’s economy,” Caroline Beteta, president and CEO of Visit California, said in a Sunday news release.
The Central Coast was one of the top five travel destinations in California in 2023, according to the report, which defines the region as Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
Travelers also flocked to the Los Angeles area, the San Francisco Bay Area, Orange County and San Diego County.
Together, those five regions contributed 75.1% of “direct travel spending in the state,” the release said.
How much did tourists spend in SLO County?
From sun-kissed beaches and cute coastal towns to fields of wildflowers and rolling hills dotted with wineries and oak trees, San Luis Obispo County has plenty to offer travelers.
SLO County saw $2.3 billion in total travel spending in 2023, according to the economic impact report. About $2.2 billion of that came from visitors.
That was an overall increase of 14% from 2019, when travel spending totaled about $2 billion.
Visitors spent more than $1.4 billion in 2023 on hotels, motels and short-term vacation rentals, the report said.
.jpg "Image from iOS (23).jpg")
They also shelled out $272 million for retail shopping, $230 million for arts, entertainment and recreation and $752 million for local restaurants and food stores.
SLO County received $207 million in local and state tax revenue in 2023 as a result of tourism, the report said.
In addition, the county added 22,830 tourism-related jobs that year, with more than half of those employees — 13,480 — working in the accommodations and food service fields.
According to Visit California, those numbers mean SLO County has fully recovered from the pandemic in terms of travel spending.
What’s the economic impact of Central Coast tourism?
The Central Coast saw more than $9.3 billion in total travel spending in 2023, the report said, with about $8.9 billion of that coming from visitors.
That resulted in 87,820 jobs and $885 million in local and state tax revenue for the region, according to the report.
In comparison, Orange County brought in roughly $15.8 billion in direct travel spending, while San Diego County saw $16.1 billion, the Los Angeles area saw $34 billion and the Bay Area saw about $37.7 billion.
How did report calculate economic impact of travel?
Visit California said it commissioned the new report to assess the economic impact of travel for the state of California.
“Spending associated with travel in California generates earnings, employment and taxes throughout the state,” the report said.
To calculate that economic impact, Dean Runyan Associates looked at factors including travel spending by visitors who stayed at hotels, motels and short-term vacation rentals.
It also looked at how much tourists spent on food services, retail, transportation and arts, entertainment and recreation, the report said.
