California Tourism Month celebrates what a great destination the state is for tourism, and it shines a spotlight on what visitors do for the economy. Sacramento, as the capital of California, sees its fair share of visitors, but what does that mean for locals?
In essence, visitors help make Sacramento a better place to live.
The above graphic represents just how Sacramento County benefited from visitation in 2017. The more than $3 billion spent in the county stimulate local businesses and help them thrive.
According to Visit California's data, all segments tracked saw an uptick in 2017, with accommodations seeing the biggest rise. Visitors are spending more money to stay here, and that's providing more hospitality jobs for locals, in addition to new hotels such as the Kimpton Sawyer Hotel, which opened adjacent to the Golden 1 Center.
Food service also saw an increase in 2017, with $870 million spent locally by travelers. Sacramento is America's Farm-to-Fork Capital, and in conjunction with special events, a thriving restaurant scene and hardworking local farmers providing much of the fare served, visitors are taking note.
While visiting, travelers also contributed $280 million in local taxes. That's $280 million that residents got to save, and the money collected largely goes to the local administrations' general funds, paying for services such as parks and public safety.
During the week of May 21, head to the California State Capitol and stop outside the governor's office to check out a 60-foot installation on the wall that highlights California's diverse tourism regions and the ways tourism benefits the region and the state.
