At the Visit California tourism event held in Sydney this week, there was just one message that the Californian tourism industry had for Aussies: We are open for business.
The news over the past fortnight has been dominated by images of Los Angeles up in flames – in one instance an AI-doctored image even showed the Hollywood sign burning down.
Whilst Ryan Becker, senior vice president of communications and strategy, Visit California, did not downplay the huge destruction of fires that wiped out two LA neighbourhoods, he did note that much of LA is completely unimpacted.
“We’ve all been fed a steady diet of [images of] the fires in Los Angeles, and while tragic, of course, more than 98 per cent of Los Angeles is completely unscathed, including the entire tourism infrastructure and tourism experience,” he said at an exclusive Visit California tourism event held on The Jackson yacht at Sydney Harbour on Tuesday.
“So most travelers arriving into Los Angeles and traveling around the Los Angeles region will never see any impacts of the fires itself.”
Becker echoed the sentiment expressed by all 12 Californian delegates at the event: now is not the time to stay away from LA.
“Now we’re ready for your help in Los Angeles’ recovery story. With your support, we can rise stronger and help businesses and residents that need tourism now more than ever,” he said.
“Australian travelers are among our top travelers into California. They contribute $1.5 billion (AU $2.4 billion) to our economy and support a total California tourism workforce of more than 1.2 million people.”
Despite the huge numbers of Australian tourists going to the US, numbers are still down since pre-pandemic.
“We wanted to come here and make this a priority and tell you about what’s new and happening in the state,” Becker said.
Over the course of nine networking events and meetings in Sydney and Melbourne throughout the week, the delegation will connect with nearly 100 Australian and New Zealand trade and media partners. These engagements aim to bolster relationships, promote California, and drive increased visitation and spending across the state.
In a nod of support to the LA tourism industry, here is a roundup of some of the latest things to check out in California!
Foodies can help too – Dine LA Restaurant Week brought forward
During tragedies, such as the recent fires in LA, restaurants (which operate at tight margins) can often be those most affected.
To ensure that LA’s restaurants are supported, LA Tourism has brought forward its DINE LA Restaurant Week – now taking place from 24 January to 7 February.
LA Tourism will donate $5 per reservation made to The American Red Cross with a match from Banc of California, raising the total donation to $100,000.
“We’ve got over 200 Michelin-rated restaurants in LA alone, and a lot of it are cuisines that aren’t common in Australia, such as Armenian, Ethiopian and Persian food. Our Mexican food is phenomenal – we rival Mexico City for the best tacos in the world,” Craig Gibbons, regional director Asia, LA Tourism and Convention Board said.
You can find out more about Dine LA here.
View this post on Instagram
For those looking for a Californian food adventure closer to home, Visit California has also teamed up with Australian-born, California-based celebrity chef Curtis Stone to offer a taste of the Californian spirit.
On 23 January Stone will bring a slice of his new Beverly Hills culinary concept, The Pie Room, to Melbourne’s bustling Fed Square for an exclusive pop-up event where attendees can enjoy a pie free of charge or choose to make a small donation to the American Red Cross or World Central Kitchen.
Donations from the Pie Room will go to support those impacted by the fires, offering a meaningful way to enjoy this unique event while giving back to those in need. The event also offers the chance to win a dream holiday package for four to California, including flights and accommodation thanks to Flight Centre.
Anaheim – not just for kids!
Whilst the suburb of Anaheim might be known as the home of one of America’s biggest playgrounds – Disneyland Park – Mike Waterman, president and CEO of Visit Anaheim, says that the opening of immersive Orange County entertainment centre OCVIBE is about to change everything.
“OCVIBE is a privately funded development by one of the wealthiest families in California, the Samueli family. Henry Samueli started and currently owns Broadcom,” he said. “He’s worth something like $45 billion and he and his wife have pledged that they’re going to invest or give away their entire fortune.”
Part of that is the development of the 130 acre OCVIBE entertainment complex. OCVIBE is an immersive entertainment district that aims to ‘redefine the downtown experience for Orange County’ and significantly contribute to the local economy.
“There’s going to be 36 restaurants, six bars, two hotels, two four-acre parks. The city has also pledged to turn the Aqua duck, which is currently dry, into a working lake that you could kayak and paddleboard on,” Waterman says.
It’s also going to have four venues, starting at 350 for small acts (such as up-and-coming YouTubers) and rising to 20,000.
The OCVIBE will open in stages with the music venues to open in 2026.
View this post on Instagram
Lovers of sports
When it comes to travel, Australians specifically are very “experience-orientated”, says president and CEO of San Francisco Travel Association Anna Marie Presutti.
And the abundance of sporting events taking place in LA over the next two years – the FIFA World Cup in 2026, the 2028 Olympics, and the NBA – means that visiting Aussies will be right in the thick of it.
“Come to San Francisco in the next 18 months and see all the iconic things we have – whether it’s the bridge or the Painted Ladies – and you’re probably going to stumble upon a major sporting event and all the activations that go with that sporting event.
“For instance, in our Union Square area for the NBA All-Star game, they’re putting a basketball court with professional basketball players there to mingle with the patrons.
“The entire city kind of takes on whatever sporting event is happening.”
This is the first of several articles on the LA Tourism industry that Travel Weekly will be publishing over the coming weeks.
You can check out all of the updates about the fires here.
