Annual SLO County tourism report show numbers rose slightly in 2024
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Tourism numbers released Monday by Visit SLO CAL show a slight increase in key metrics for 2024 compared to 2023, even as California braces for a statewide slowdown in 2025.
Visit SLO CAL, San Luis Obispo County's official destination marketing and management organization, released its annual industry report to coincide with the U.S. Travel Association’s National Travel and Tourism Week and California Tourism Month.
According to the report, direct travel spending in San Luis Obispo County reached $2.4 billion in 2024, contributing to a 2.6% increase in countywide travel spending.
Tourism also generated $105.6 million in local tax revenue and accounted for 10.39% of the county’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to data compiled by Visit California, a nonprofit that markets the state's travel industry.
Another key economic metric — tourism industry earnings, which include after-tax income such as wages and salaries — reached $953.1 million in 2024, reflecting a 4.3% year-over-year increase.
“Tourism is vital to SLO CAL, driving economic prosperity, creating jobs, and enhancing the vibrancy of our region,” said Cathy Cartier, Visit SLO CAL President and CEO. “As the region’s second-largest economic driver, tourism strengthens our local economy, supports thousands of jobs, and helps preserve the communities that make SLO CAL so special.”
The Visit SLO CAL report was released the same day as Visit California’s statewide tourism outlook and a May forecast by Tourism Economics, which projects California will see a slight decline in overall visitor volume in 2025 — a 0.7% drop to 267.8 million visits. Despite that, statewide tourism spending is expected to grow 0.5%, reaching $158.1 billion.
Domestic travel is forecast to remain strong, with 252.5 million visits and a 1.4% increase in spending. However, the growth may be dampened by a weaker U.S. economy and inflation driven by tariffs. Meanwhile, international visitation is projected to decline by 9.2% in 2025 due to higher tariffs and negative sentiment toward U.S. trade policies, resulting in a 4.3% drop in international tourism spending.
The 2025 outlook marks the first projected year-over-year decline in statewide visitation since the pandemic.
