Visitation and Spend Forecast (October 2025)

An outlook on visitation and spending, including international spend and visitor forecast for 13 priority markets, and annual forecast for California's 12 tourism regions. 

• According to Tourism Economics’ October forecast, California’s visitor volume is projected to rise 0.8% in 2025, adding 2.1 million visits for a total of 271.6 million. Growth is forecast to accelerate to 1.7% in 2026.
• Visitor spending totaled $157.3 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $158.6 billion in 2025.
• Modest growth in domestic travel spending is forecast in 2025. Spending is expected to be impacted by a weaker US economy and higher inflation due to tariffs.
• International visits increased 10.2% in 2024 but are forecast to decline 0.7% in 2025 due to the impact of higher tariffs on the global economy and negative sentiment towards the US over the administration’s trade policies.
• Overseas visits are forecast to decline 3.7% in 2025, and visits from Canada are projected to fall 18.4%.  Visits from Mexico, however, are expected to rise 5.9%.
• The drop in international visits is forecast to cause international spending to decline 2.1% in 2025.
• Growth in Mexican visits has less impact on international spending due to their lower average spend per visitor.