Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti recently announced a series of initiatives to help the tourism sector recover from the devastating impacts of COVID-19.

Joined by hotel managers and leaders from the Hotel Association of Los Angeles, the L.A. Tourism and Convention Board and the L.A. Tourism Marketing District, the mayor hosted a roundtable discussion to highlight the city’s efforts to bring back jobs, visitors and growth to the hospitality industry. Measures to help include $5 million to support a national marketing campaign,; the creation of a Los Angeles Tourism Cabinet and federal advocacy efforts to call for more funding for tourism and guidelines for international visitation.

“Tourism and hospitality were decimated by the pandemic, and if we want L.A.’s economy to speed into a lasting recovery, we need to get this industry back on its feet, workers back on the job and visitors back in the doors of our hotels, businesses and key attractions,” Garcetti said. “Our city is a global destination, and as more people get vaccinated and more spaces reopen, we will do everything possible to revitalize this sector and welcome people from across the country and around the world to Los Angeles once again.”

Early in the pandemic, with public health protocols forcing hotels and other businesses across the city to temporarily shut down, employment in the local hospitality and leisure space fell by 46%. One-third of all jobs lost in L.A. County since last February have been in the hospitality sector.

With vaccinations as an important foundation, the mayor announced a series of steps to reinvigorate the tourism industry. The $5 million investment will be made in the Tourism & Convention Board’s “Comeback Story” marketing campaign to attract visitors to Los Angeles. Drawn from the American Rescue Plan, the funding will enable Los Angeles to be one of the only destinations in the country to launch a national advertising effort to inspire people to come to L.A. The investment is projected to generate over $12 million in additional hotel taxes to city coffers.

Garcetti also announced the formation of the Los Angeles Tourism Cabinet, an interdepartmental forum comprised of city department general managers with an important role in the development of destination management policy. The group will develop strategies to maintain L.A.’s position as a leading destination for global travel, identify pathways for sustainable growth of tourism, and ensure that it delivers benefits to the community and improves the quality of life. Doane Liu, executive director of the Department of Convention and Tourism Development, will serve as chair for the cabinet.

Garcetti will ask that Economic Development Administration grant funding be allowed to support promotional campaigns for tourist destinations, and request that the administration set guidelines for reopening borders to international visitors. For information, visit discoverlosangeles.com.