Visitors to Napa Valley spent a record $1.27 billion in the county in 2015, which represents an 8.9 percent increase over 2014 and the highest percentage gain of all of California’s 58 counties, according to the 2015 Economic Impact report released on May 2, 2016 by Visit California. The report, released during National Travel and Tourism Week May 1 -7, finds that travel spending is a leading source of employment opportunities for local residents and tax revenue for local governments. Produced in partnership by Dean Runyan Associates, the report is an update from preliminary findings released in February at Visit California’s 2016 Outlook Forum.
“Tourism is a significant and growing piece of the Bay Area’s economy,” said Visit California President and CEO Caroline Beteta. “As we celebrate National Travel and Tourism week, it is important to keep the continued success of the travel industry top-of-mind as a source of benefits for the entire community.”
Visitor spending supported 13,680 jobs in the Napa Valley and generated $116 million in tax revenue. “According to the report, the number of jobs related to and supported by tourism has increased by 3.7 percent from 2014,” adds Clay Gregory, president and CEO of Visit Napa Valley. “These figures prove that the travel and tourism industry is an extremely powerful economic driver for the Napa Valley and Visit Napa Valley will continue its efforts to target ‘need periods’ through our marketing and sales efforts.”
The report also indicates that the highest percentage of visitor spending in 2015 was for accommodations, with $355 million, which is an increase of 15 percent from 2014. This is followed by food service with $331 million, an increase of 10 percent from 2014, and retail sales of $224 million, an increase of 7 percent from 2014.
Visit California is a statewide organization that works with local partners across the state to develop and implement innovative global marketing programs that instill a desire for the California Dream and attract visitors to the state. This work plays an important role in growing Napa Valley’s tourism economy, as sustained messaging to potential visitors is essential to attracting travelers and enticing them to return to create new experiences. Access the report “California Travel Impacts by County, 1992-2014, 2015 Preliminary State & Regional Estimates,” and see a breakdown of all the data statewide by visiting http://industry.visitcalifornia.com/impacts.
