In this context, Travel2latam spoke with Adam Burke, President and CEO of Los Angeles Tourism.
Adam, Could you tell us about the organization and importance of the event?
It's not easy to do, but it's worth it. Many people forget the history of Los Angeles. The forty-four original settlers were all of Hispanic, indigenous, or black descent. So the foundation of Los Angeles emerged from the Latino and Hispanic community. And you know that permeates every aspect of the culture. It is one of the most diverse cities on the planet, but 45% percent of citizens identify as Hispanic or Latino.
And so when we look at all of Mexico, Central America, Latin America, South America, it's very much an extension of Los Angeles because you have so many communities represented here, whether it's El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, et cetera. That's really the heart of what Los Angeles is. And that's why IPW is so important, because it's always been one of our biggest markets.
And we finally have direct air service returning to 2019 levels. That will really accelerate the pace of recovery in our community.
What was the challenge in implementing this event?
I think the biggest challenge of implementing IPW is when you think about the United States, because it is such a large and diverse country with so many different states, cities, and destinations. I think Brand USA and the US Travel Association have done an extraordinary job each year with IPW in really showcasing the diversity of offerings.
We haven't been hosts in twelve years and many things have changed in the destination. When we started meeting with our colleagues in the international markets, we realized that they haven't been to Los Angeles since 2021. And the assumption was that not much had changed during those three years, but surprisingly, there was a lot of investment in new attractions of infrastructure.
Going into the pandemic, instead of stopping programs, they accelerated the pace of capital improvements because visits were way down. In fact, we've called it LA 2.0 because we have more reasons to visit Los Angeles now than before the pandemic. A great example is that anyone who flew into the Tom Bradley terminal at LAX before the pandemic will remember that because so many flights were arriving, you often had to park on the tarmac and wait ten to 15 minutes for a shuttle bus. , and then take a ten-minute ride to the central terminal. A modernization is now underway, and the terminal's western gates have been open for almost three years. There are 15 state-of-the-art doors that are totally dedicated to the international market. They can carry anything from a 737 to the largest Airbus. It is state-of-the-art, fully biometrically enabled for a seamless travel experience. This completely transforms the international arrival experience. And even Los Angeles has been highlighted from the moment you step off the plane. So instead of seeing big national chain businesses, you have boutique retail stores, you have restaurants, and so it creates a complete Los Angeles experience.
On the other hand, before 2019, we did not have a single American football team. We now have the most modern sports and entertainment complex in the world, and we have eleven professional sports teams. And we want to do a better job of creating pay equity for women in sports. Additionally, we have the opportunity to host the FIFA World Cup together with Mexico and Canada. Thus, Los Angeles will host eight games, including the debut of the United States men's team. We also have two round of 32 matches and a quarter-final match. And we know it will attract visitors from all over the world because it is the most televised event in the world.
What can you highlight about the culture of Los Angeles?
Los Angeles now has more museums and performing arts venues per capita than any destination in the United States. But that also includes these amazing new attractions. During the pandemic, the Academy of Motion Picture Museum opened. It is the most advanced institution in the world dedicated to telling the story of cinema, both art and science. And it is a spectacular installation. This year, we will welcome NHM Commons, which is a brand new area of the Natural History Museum, as well as Destination Crenshaw.
Destination Crenshaw will be the largest public art installation in the United States dedicated to Black and African American art. None of those things even existed in 2019. If you go to Universal Studios Hollywood, Super Nintendo World is the biggest themed land they've had since the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. This is all new, which is why we keep telling people that if you haven't been to Los Angeles recently, you haven't really seen Los Angeles.
How do you promote or communicate these new attractions and entertainment?
The first thing is to authentically tell the story of Los Angeles, because we believe that marketability has to be from a place of authenticity. Los Angeles truly represents a place of personal freedom. People feel like they can explore, relax, play, and be their authentic selves here because there is so much to do. The second thing is the idea of infinite possibilities. Because really, if you can dream it, you can do it, because everything under the sun is here in Los Angeles.
Plus, Los Angeles is an incredibly welcoming place. And I think in an increasingly polarized world, there's something very special about that. It is one of the most diverse communities in the world. Angelenos come from 140 different countries. More than 220 languages are spoken. And I think that's, first and foremost, how we present Los Angeles, those are the three things. And then, in terms of what we do to promote the destination, it is an integrated marketing strategy. That's why we work very closely with the travel sector.
The pandemic really elevated the role of the professional travel advisor. For a long time, people were very concerned about what is safe, what are the opening protocols, what should I do to go to different countries. And it really elevated the role of the professional travel advisor in the travel industry into the trusted resource. What we are discovering now is that people are very time-starved. There have been so many surveys that if you gave people the option of a 5% salary increase or an extra week of vacation, virtually everyone would take that extra week of vacation. People need that time to decompress.
So people in the travel sector want to make the most of their time…
More and more people are booking through professional travel advisors because they want a personalized experience. So what we've done is make it very easy to understand what Los Angeles is. You have to think of the destination not as a city, but as six unique regions, and each of them with a very different flavor, with another approach.
We have Downtown Los Angeles, we have Hollywood, we have the Valley, we have South Los Angeles, the West Side and we have the Coast City. And so, you can have a very different experience in all of them. The best way to experience Los Angeles is without cars, because since we are such a big destination, what I always say is don't try to do it all in one trip. Instead, I would recommend doing a series of three-day itineraries highlighting different neighborhoods. So, a great example is, if you're someone who loves arts and culture, the arts district is five minutes from downtown Los Angeles. You can go spend three days there and never need a car. And you'll walk around and find these amazing little restaurants, you'll see amazing architecture, boutique hotels, you'll see street art. We have some of the most vibrant graffiti in the world, with artists like Shepherd Ferry, Mister Cartoon and Stephen Harrington.
Adam, could you tell us about the IPW event? What results do you expect?
IPW is a wonderful program because it truly celebrates the diversity of the United States. Travelers from all over the world seek different experiences and there are many things to enjoy. So, first of all, IPW is enormously important, not only to the host city, but to the US national economy. It is estimated that each year IPW is held, it generates more than $5 billion in business over the next 36 months. Therefore, it generates 5 billion dollars for the host destination.
Overall, it will generate about $1 billion in new revenue. But we believe we will overcome that given that Los Angeles is a gateway destination, and by the full recovery of air service from Mexico, Central America, Latin America and South America, in addition to the modernization at LAX. We expect to see over a billion dollars in new business. It's not just about big hotels or attractions. We are a nonprofit, Los Angeles tourism membership organization. We have over 1100 member companies and most of them are small family businesses that depend on tourism for their livelihood. A great example is last year, our local business community saw $40 billion in sales from local businesses due to visits to Los Angeles, creating jobs. There are currently more than 530,000 evangelicals working in tourism-related careers.
That is why I think it is fair to say that tourism is essential for our community. And that's really what IPW celebrates: we are part of a global community and tourism has power.