Memorandum
Date: May 17, 2022
To: The Honorable Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Susan Parker, Interim County Administrative Officer
Subject: Adopt Proclamation recognizing May 2022 as California Tourism Month in Lake County
Executive Summary:
California Tourism Month
WHEREAS, Tourism plays a critical role in Lake County and the state's economic prosperity; and
WHEREAS, A robust travel industry provides significant economic benefits for the entire state, generating more than $144 billion dollars in visitor spending in 2019; and
WHEREAS, Travel has been the foundation of a healthy workforce, serving as one of the largest private-sector employers in California, supporting 1.2 million jobs in 2019; and
WHEREAS, Spending by travelers benefits state and local governments alike, generating $12.2 billion dollars in tax revenue in 2019 to support essential public services and programs that benefit all Californians; and
WHEREAS, The COVID-19 pandemic devastated every sector of the travel industry with staggering economic impacts, affecting every community in California, including Lake County; and
WHEREAS, California lost $79.8 billion dollars in visitor spending in 2020, a 55-percent decline from the previous year, and lost $6.1 billion dollars in local and state revenues, a 50-percent drop; and
WHEREAS, Nearly one million Californians working in travel and hospitality lost their jobs in the first month of the pandemic, and the employment sector remains by far the hardest hit in California; and
WHEREAS, in 2020 Lake County lost $47 million in travel generated spending, tax receipts and employment.
WHEREAS, The statewide tourism sector began its recovery in 2021 but remains well short of 2019 levels in employment, visitor spending, and taxes generated; and
WHEREAS, Lake County saw travel-generated spending, tax receipts and employment return to 2019 levels]; and
WHEREAS, The California Legislature in 2016 declared every May as California Tourism Mo...
Click here for full text