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California Tourism Statistics for November 2026
California received an estimated 271.4 million visitors in 2025, 0.7% more than in 2024 but below the 2019 peak of 285.6 million. Visitors spent $140.8 billion in 2025 (preliminary), and total direct travel spending, which also counts items such as residents' air travel, reached $158.9 billion. International air arrivals at California airports fell 6.4% to 7.04 million, with Canada down 20.6%.
How many people visit California, where international visitors come from, what they spend and what travel is worth to the state, compiled from official statistics and the state tourism office's published estimates. Full sources are listed at the bottom of the page. Headline figures are for 2025, with 2026 year-to-date where available. Visitor totals are modelled estimates; arrivals, airport and park figures are counts.
Visitor numbers
Visitors to California
California received an estimated 271.4 million visitors in 2025, 0.7% more than in 2024 and 5.0% fewer than in 2019 (285.6 million). Of these, 255.0 million came from elsewhere in California or the rest of the US and 16.4 million from abroad. International visits fell 0.7%: visits from Mexico rose 7.5% to 8.4 million, while overseas visits fell 5.0% to 6.6 million and visits from Canada fell 20.1% to 1.4 million. The latest forecast is 276.3 million visitors in 2026 (+1.8%).
View data table
| Period | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 285.6m | peak |
| 2020 | 140.6m | pandemic |
| 2021 | 213.4m | |
| 2022 | 259.1m | |
| 2023 | 264.1m | |
| 2024 | 269.5m | |
| 2025 | 271.4m | +0.7% |
Modelled estimates of visits (trips), not head counts, as published in September 2026; earlier years may be revised in later editions. Domestic visits include Californians travelling within the state and day trips: in 2025 there were 87.2 million domestic day visits and 167.8 million overnight visits. International visits include land crossings from Mexico.
Visitor spending
What visitors spend in California
Visitors spent $140.8 billion in California in 2025, according to preliminary estimates. That is 2.3% more than in 2024 and 7.4% more than in 2019 ($131.1 billion), in current dollars. Domestic visitors spent $115.8 billion (82%) and international visitors $25.0 billion (18%), $1.0 billion less than in 2024. Food service was the largest category at $38.5 billion, followed by accommodation at $35.2 billion. Including other travel spending, such as residents' air travel and convention services, direct travel spending was $158.9 billion, up 1.7%.
View data table
| Period | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $131.1bn | pre-pandemic |
| 2020 | $61.1bn | pandemic |
| 2021 | $95.3bn | |
| 2022 | $127.2bn | |
| 2023 | $134.0bn | |
| 2024 | $137.7bn | |
| 2025 | $140.8bn | +2.3% |
Spending by visitors at the destination, in current (nominal) dollars. A visitor trip is an overnight stay away from home or a non-routine trip of more than 50 miles each way. 2025 figures are preliminary and 2024 has been revised. After adjusting for inflation, direct travel spending rose 0.8% in 2025.
Source markets
International air arrivals by country
Canada was the largest source of international air arrivals at California airports in 2025, with 1.06 million, although that was 20.6% fewer than in 2024. Mexico was second with 711,010 (+5.4%) and China third with 625,744. Arrivals from Germany fell 14.7% and from France 8.6%, while arrivals from Japan rose 3.9%. Bars show 2025 arrivals; the muted figure is the change on 2024.
Non-resident international air arrivals at 11 California airports of entry. Travellers who first land elsewhere in the US, and Mexicans crossing by land, are not counted, so Mexico ranks much higher on the modelled measure (8.4 million visits in 2025, most of them by land). Changes are calculated from the monthly figures.
Visitor mix
Leisure and business visits
Most trips to California are for leisure. Of the estimated 271.4 million visits in 2025, 227.1 million (83.7%) were leisure trips and 44.3 million (16.3%) business trips. Leisure visits rose 0.8% and business visits 0.3%.
- Leisure 83.7%
- Business 16.3%
Modelled estimates covering domestic and international visitors. Business trips include 7.3 million domestic group trips such as conventions and meetings.
Seasonality
When they visit
International arrivals peak in summer. August 2025 was the busiest month, with 695,654 non-resident air arrivals at California airports, followed by July (651,138). November was the quietest month (478,173), just below February (482,676).
View data table
| Period | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 546k | |
| Feb | 483k | |
| Mar | 544k | |
| Apr | 626k | |
| May | 617k | |
| Jun | 560k | |
| Jul | 651k | |
| Aug | 696k | peak |
| Sep | 635k | |
| Oct | 609k | |
| Nov | 478k | low |
| Dec | 594k |
Non-resident international air arrivals at California airports of entry in 2025, in thousands. No official monthly series for domestic visitors is published.
Places to visit
National park sites in California
The 27 national park units in California with visitor counts recorded 39.1 million recreation visits in 2025, 0.7% fewer than in 2024. Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which includes Alcatraz, had the most, at 15.7 million (−8.4%). Yosemite National Park had 4.28 million visits (+3.8%) and Joshua Tree National Park 2.93 million (−2.0%).
Recreation visits in calendar year 2025. Death Valley extends into Nevada. Redwood National Park's count nearly doubled from 622,883 in 2024; the monthly data do not give a reason. Theme parks do not publish attendance, so they are not included.
Accommodation
Hotels & occupancy
Visitors staying in hotels and motels spent $68.2 billion in California in 2025, 3.3% more than in 2024, and guests in short-term vacation rentals spent $14.7 billion, about the same as in 2024 (−0.1%). Taxable lodging sales rose 2.2% to $29.0 billion. Of 167.8 million estimated domestic overnight visits, 111.6 million involved paid accommodation.
Economic impact
Tourism in California's economy
Travel spending directly supported 1,167,470 jobs in California in 2025, 0.4% more than in 2024, and $66.7 billion in earnings (+3.3%). It generated $13.6 billion in state and local tax revenue, up 3.6%: $7.2 billion in local and $6.5 billion in state taxes. That is about $1,008 for every resident household.
Including indirect and induced effects, travel supported 1,956,615 jobs in 2025. Accommodation and food services accounted for 645,315 of the direct jobs. Los Angeles County had the highest direct travel spending ($35.1 billion, −0.1%), followed by Orange County ($17.1 billion), San Diego County ($16.7 billion), San Francisco ($14.2 billion) and Riverside County ($10.2 billion). All 2025 figures are preliminary.
At a glance
Fast facts
- 16.4m International visitors (2025 estimate, −0.7%)
- 73.7m Passengers at LAX (2025, −3.8%)
- 54.5m Passengers at SFO (2025, +4.3%)
- 25.32m Passengers at San Diego International (2025, record)
- 4.28m Visits to Yosemite National Park (2025)
- $158.9bn Direct travel spending (2025, +1.7%)
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How many tourists visit California each year?
California received an estimated 271.4 million visitors in 2025, 0.7% more than in 2024 (269.5 million) but below the 2019 peak of 285.6 million. Of these, 255.0 million were domestic and 16.4 million international. The figures are modelled estimates of trips and include day trips and Californians travelling within the state.
How much do tourists spend in California?
Visitors spent $140.8 billion in California in 2025 (preliminary), 2.3% more than in 2024. Domestic visitors spent $115.8 billion and international visitors $25.0 billion. Total direct travel spending, which also includes items such as residents' air travel and convention services, was $158.9 billion.
How many international tourists visit California?
An estimated 16.4 million international visitors came to California in 2025, 0.7% fewer than in 2024. That includes 8.4 million from Mexico, 6.6 million from overseas and 1.4 million from Canada. Counted at the border, there were 7.04 million non-resident international air arrivals at California airports in 2025, 6.4% fewer than in 2024.
Which country sends the most visitors to California?
Mexico sends the most visitors overall, an estimated 8.4 million in 2025, most of them crossing by land. Among international air arrivals at California airports, Canada was first with 1.06 million in 2025 (−20.6%), followed by Mexico (711,010) and China (625,744).
How many jobs does tourism support in California?
Travel spending directly supported 1,167,470 jobs in California in 2025, 0.4% more than in 2024. Including indirect and induced effects, the total was 1,956,615 jobs. Accommodation and food services accounted for 645,315 of the direct jobs.
Is California tourism growing in 2026?
Mixed so far. International air arrivals at California airports were 5,136,249 in January–September 2026, 4.1% fewer than a year earlier, and arrivals from Canada were down 8.0%. Passengers at SFO rose 2.1% in January–August. The September 2026 forecast expects 276.3 million visitors for the full year, 1.8% more than in 2025.
What is the most visited national park in California?
Yosemite is the most visited national park in California, with 4,278,413 recreation visits in 2025 (+3.8%). Joshua Tree had 2,932,644 and Sequoia 1,378,337. Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which is not a national park but is run by the same agency, had 15.7 million visits.
Using these figures?
Cite this page
Journalists, researchers and bloggers are welcome to use the statistics on this page. Please credit California Tourism Statistics and link to this page.
California Tourism Statistics (2026). Visitors, spending and trends. Last reviewed 2 November 2026. https://www.ustourismstatistics.com/california
<a href="https://www.ustourismstatistics.com/california">California Tourism Statistics</a> Notes & sources
Methodology & sources
This page compiles official statistics and published estimates; the sources for every figure are listed below. Main caveats:
- Spending, jobs, earnings and tax figures come from The Economic Impact of Travel in California by Dean Runyan Associates for Visit California (April 2026), which is preliminary for 2025 and revised for 2024. Visitor numbers are from the Tourism Economics forecast for Visit California dated September 2026. International air arrivals run to September 2026.
- Visitor totals are modelled estimates by Tourism Economics, not counts. They count trips, so one person can make many visits, and include day trips and Californians travelling within the state. International visits include land crossings from Mexico. Each forecast edition can revise earlier years; the values shown are those in the September 2026 edition. The 2026 figure is a forecast.
- Visitor spending ($140.8 billion) covers spending by visitors at the destination. Direct travel spending ($158.9 billion) adds other travel spending such as residents' air travel out of the state, travel arrangement services and convention services; the forecast report calls this total visitor spending. The forecast gives international spending as $25.4 billion, against $25.0 billion in the economic-impact report; this page uses the economic-impact figure. Values are nominal unless stated.
- Arrival counts are non-resident international air arrivals at 11 California airports of entry, from the Visit California International Arrivals workbook. Annual totals and changes are summed from monthly figures. Visitors who enter the US at another airport, and land crossings, are not included.
- Park figures are National Park Service recreation visits for 27 units in California, summed from monthly data. Airport figures are total passengers from each airport operator and include residents and connecting travellers. The LAX figure matches the Los Angeles page on this site.
Primary sources
- Visit California / Dean Runyan Associates: The Economic Impact of Travel in California, 2025p : State, regional and county impacts, April 2026 (2025 preliminary, 2024 revised): direct travel spending, visitor spending by origin, accommodation type and commodity, earnings, employment, tax revenue, taxable lodging sales, 2015–2025.
- Visit California / Tourism Economics: California Visits and Spending Forecast, September 2026 : Five-year forecast published 8 October 2026: estimated visits 2019–2025 (domestic, international, business, leisure, day and overnight) and forecasts for 2026–2030, with international visits by market (modelled estimates).
- Visit California: International Arrivals, September 2026 : Non-resident international air arrivals at California ports of entry by country and month, 2023 to September 2026 (Excel workbook released 23 October 2026).
- National Park Service: Visitor Use Statistics : Monthly recreation visits for 27 park units in California, January 2024–December 2025 (summed to annual totals).
- Los Angeles World Airports: 2025 Aviation Activity Analysis : LAX Specific Plan annual report (June 2026): LAX passengers 2015–2025.
- San Francisco International Airport: Comparative Traffic Report, December 2025 : Calendar year 2025 and 2024 total airport passengers, domestic and international (report dated 2 February 2026).
- San Francisco International Airport: Comparative Traffic Report, August 2026 : Calendar year to date January–August 2026 and 2025 total airport passengers.
- San Diego County Regional Airport Authority: news release : San Diego International Airport sets new passenger record in 2025 (25.32 million passengers, +0.3%), 18 February 2026.