In 2023, California’s tourism revenue reached a record high, surpassing $150 billion. The city of Sacramento has been a major contributor to this growth, with events such as rock concerts and food festivals bringing in millions of visitors and generating billions of dollars in revenue for the local economy. Visit Sacramento CEO Mike Testa stated that tourism brings over $4 billion in impact to the region.
Placer County is also benefiting from the boom in tourism, with sports tournaments becoming increasingly popular. According to Kim Summers, CEO of Placer Valley Tourism, large-scale sports events can draw thousands of out-of-state competitors and contribute significantly to the local economy.
However, both Sacramento and Placer acknowledge that more investment is needed to accommodate larger events and meet growing demand for tourism infrastructure. For example, there is a shortage of hotel rooms in Sacramento, while Placer lacks facilities to host more events. To address this issue, some popular festivals like Aftershock rock festival and GoldenSky country music festival are expanding their offerings.
Overall, the tourism industry in California is booming thanks to a diverse range of events that attract visitors and contribute significantly to the local economy. Efforts to enhance tourism infrastructure will only further boost this growth and benefit both residents and tourists alike.