Major U.S. Tourism Town Faces Struggles as Visitor Numbers Lag

"We are concerned about any factors that could negatively impact perceptions of the U.S. as a preferred travel destination."

T ourism promoters in Los Angeles and neighboring cities are grappling with the effects of several years’ worth of hits to the tourism industry in the region, SF Gate reported last month.

Visitor numbers, already sluggish to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, were dealt another blow in early 2025 when a series of wildfires ripped through communities near Malibu and Pasadena. While the neighborhoods involved were largely residential, leaving most tourism attractions and other tourist infrastructure untouched, visitor numbers have been down.

“With more than 510,000 Angelenos and over 1,000 local businesses relying on tourism for their livelihoods, we are c