Travel trends remained largely positive in California in September and October, although the pace of growth slowed somewhat, according to the November report from Visit California, the state's tourism body.
Hotel occupancy was up 2.9 percent in October, off of the 5.4 percent YTD mark seen in 2011. Room rate growth of 6.0 percent remained on par with growth measured throughout the year, however, which enabled still healthy growth in revenue per available room of 9.4 percent.
And in September overseas arrivals were up 8.9 percent, which, while notably strong, marked only the third month in 2011 when yr/yr growth rates were below 10 percent. Domestic air traffic actually picked up in September, where growth of 3.5 percent outpaced the 2.2 percent YTD mark for traffic in and out of California’s top 10 airports.
Not surprisingly, welcome center traffic declined in September from the year’s peak highs in July and August, but yr/yr traffic was also negative. At least part of the reason had to do with especially high CWC traffic a year ago, so it is not necessarily indicative of a larger decline in drive travel.
The outlook for 2012 is for continued, moderate growth. According to the October, 2011 California Travel Forecast by Tourism Economics, overall visitation is expected to grow 2 percent in 2012, down from the projected year end growth of 4 percent in 2011. And travel spending is expected to grow 5% in 2012, half the expected year end rate of growth in 2011, +10 percent. The full forecast report includes detailed domestic forecasting by type of trip, mode of transportation, and overnight vs. day travel, and also includes forecast breakouts for each of California’s top international markets.
Hotel occupancy was up 2.9 percent in October, off of the 5.4 percent YTD mark seen in 2011. Room rate growth of 6.0 percent remained on par with growth measured throughout the year, however, which enabled still healthy growth in revenue per available room of 9.4 percent.
And in September overseas arrivals were up 8.9 percent, which, while notably strong, marked only the third month in 2011 when yr/yr growth rates were below 10 percent. Domestic air traffic actually picked up in September, where growth of 3.5 percent outpaced the 2.2 percent YTD mark for traffic in and out of California’s top 10 airports.
Not surprisingly, welcome center traffic declined in September from the year’s peak highs in July and August, but yr/yr traffic was also negative. At least part of the reason had to do with especially high CWC traffic a year ago, so it is not necessarily indicative of a larger decline in drive travel.
The outlook for 2012 is for continued, moderate growth. According to the October, 2011 California Travel Forecast by Tourism Economics, overall visitation is expected to grow 2 percent in 2012, down from the projected year end growth of 4 percent in 2011. And travel spending is expected to grow 5 percent in 2012, half the expected year end rate of growth in 2011, +10 percent. The full forecast report includes detailed domestic forecasting by type of trip, mode of transportation, and overnight vs. day travel, and also includes forecast breakouts for each of California’s top international markets.
