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Visit California warns international arrivals slipping; cites visa wait times, rhetoric and economics
Summary
At an informational hearing of the California State Assembly Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports and Tourism, Visit California said 2025 will mark the first year of visitation decline since the pandemic, driven chiefly by a projected 9.2% drop in international arrivals and weakening global sentiment.
Caroline Betteta, chief executive officer of Visit California, told the Assembly Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports and Tourism on Aug. 20 that California is facing its first year-over-year decline in total visitation since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Betteta said the decline is driven primarily by a forecasted 9.2% drop in international visitors for 2025 and by economic pressure in source markets. "This decline is driven by economic pressures, shift in sentiment abroad, and concern about the ease of travel into the U.S.," Betteta said. She cited news coverage of border detainments, lengthy visa wait times and a strong U.S. dollar as contributors.
The agency…
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