California Resident Sentiment on Travel and Tourism

Ongoing study of U.S. households that measures key indicators of how residents perceive travel and tourism in their area. The report to download includes four annual waves of data (2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025) for the U.S., California, 12 tourism regions, 27 counties, and 22 cities. Cities and counties available have a minimum sample size of 56 and 72, respectively

• In 2025, California has shown gradual improvement across key resident sentiment indicators. Most notably, the state’s overall resident sentiment ranking has risen relative to the U.S. as a whole.
• 63% of California’s residents have a highly positive perception of the state’s travel and tourism industry. 
• 55% of Californians feel highly positive about the tourism industry as a critical force for job creation and employment opportunities, showcasing its significance in workforce development.
• 54% of California residents express a high level of positivity toward generating local tax revenue from tourism.
• 59% of residents strongly agree that tourism contributes to the growth of local shopping, dining, and entertainment, reinforcing its impact on the local economy.
• 53% of residents strongly agree that tourism should be actively promoted by their local government.
• 49% of residents strongly agree that tourism provides more benefits than challenges, indicating a balanced overall perception of its community impact.
• Residents in California’s gateway regions report more favorable views toward the state’s travel and tourism compared to those in most non-gateway regions.
• Among the 12 tourism regions, the Deserts region stands out as the most positive toward the state’s travel and tourism industry.