Los Angeles is one of the world's most popular travel destinations, ranking as the second most visited city in the U.S. for international travelers, and among the top five most visited cities by residents of the U.S.
Tourism-related industries are the second leading employer in LA County (direct international trade being the first), with 266,000 Angelenos employed in this sector in 2007 — that makes LA a very hospitable destination for its 25.9 million annual visitors.
While fellow Californians are the most common visitors to LA, nearly one in five tourists are international travelers. LA’s top international origins are Mexico, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom and Australia. All told, visitors to LA spent $14.2 billion on goods and services in 2007 — proving to be a valuable asset to the local economy.
Not surprisingly, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is the second largest gateway for international travelers entering the U.S., and it's the world's fifth busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic.
The city's airport agency, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) — which oversees LAX, LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT), LA/Palmdale Regional Airport (PMD) and Van Nuys Airport (VNY) — is prosperous and growing. It is currently overseeing work on a $723.5 million renovation of the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX. Other airports within LA County, such as Burbank and Long Beach, are also growing as origin and destination points for national flights serving the greater Los Angeles area.
