West Hollywood Travel + Tourism Board, the official marketing organization for the city, announced 3.59 million visitors to West Hollywood spent $1.73 billion in fiscal year 2017-18, according to a study by Destination Analysts. These record-breaking findings and more were shared at the West Hollywood Travel + Tourism Board (WHTTB) Tourism Summit 2018 held at the Jeremy West Hollywood hotel.
"Our job is to raise awareness and responsibly drive demand for our 1.9-square-mile city," says Tom Kiely, WHTTB president and CEO. "Working collaboratively with our businesses and industry partners is the key to maximizing our visitor economy and having the effective tourism industry we see today."
The $1.73 billion tourism industry in West Hollywood supported 7,958 jobs and created $49.9 million dollars in taxes for the city. The city's largest single source of revenue is the Transient Occupancy Tax, with a recommended amount of $31.75 million in 2018, according to the City of West Hollywood Open Budget 2018.
The WHTTB Tourism Summit was held for over 100 industry leaders, hospitality partners, city officials and other community members in West Hollywood. Alongside unveiling economic impact, WHTTB highlighted key visitor insights and strategic marketing initiatives designed to elevate the brand of West Hollywood and attract visitors from around the world. This year's summit included presentations from key industry members such as Lynn Carpenter, VP of marketing at Visit California, Don Skeoch, CMO of Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, Erin Francis-Cummings, president and CEO of Destination Analysts, and Clayton Reid, CEO of MMGY Global.
Looking forward: New hotel projects and renovations to be completed by 2019 will account for a 9 percent growth in inventory, the WHTTB says, including 23-room No. 850, sister property to the Sunset Tower, 190-room EDITION West Hollywood, and the transformation of the Jeremy West Hollywood to the 1 West Hollywood.
Visit www.visitwesthollywood.com.
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