U.S. Travel’s IPW Wraps Up in Los Angeles + Big News Across the U.S.A. and Hilton Names Canada’s Top Destinations for Summer

The smiles say it all.

Canada’s not all the way back, but U.S. tourism reps at this year’s IPW conference in Los Angeles are pleased with how Canadians are returning to key states south of the border.

Visit California statistics show Canada last year eclipsed pre-pandemic visitation levels, rising from 1.732 million visits in 2019 to 1.799 last year.

Canadian visits to Florida last year were at 93% of pre-pandemic levels. Orlando says it attracted 1.256 million Canadians last year, a new, single-year record.

For New York City, visitors from Canada were achingly close to 2019 numbers (995,000, compared to a million four years prior).

Dana Young, President and CEO of Visit Florida, said flight capacity between Canada and Florida was up 15% from May to October, 2023, with 994,000.

“That’s a lot of Canadians,” she said with a grin.

But Visit Florida isn’t sitting back waiting for numbers to grow even more.

“We’re looking to expand our efforts really across the board in Canada,” she said in a one-on-one chat on the busy IPW floor. “We’ve increased our budget for Canada and we’re looking to do some activations, potentially.”

“Doctor Zoolittle” from the San Diego Zoo at IPW 2024 in Los Angeles. Jim Byers Photo

Young said Visit Florida loves Canadians as they’re “willing to get out and about and see parts of Florida that people from other countries are more hesitant to explore. They’re the ones to visit the springs around Ocala, or visit beaches other people might not get to.”

New York City said it had 62.2 million visitors in 2023, which is 93% of pre-pandemic levels.

Of those 62.2 million visitors, 13.3 were international. The UK led the way with 1.030 million visits, but Canada was right behind at 995,000.

NYC tourism officials said they’re expecting to get to 97% of 2019 visitation levels this year and to surpass pre-pandemic numbers in 2025.

NYC Tourism and Conventions President and CEO Fred Dixon (the next President and CEO of Brand USA) said JFK airport is getting a multi-billion-dollar facelift, while LGA recently underwent its own major improvement.

Upcoming events for NYC include the 400^th anniversary of the city’s founding next year, and the 250^th anniversary of the formation of the United States in 2026. New York also will host the finals of the FIFA World Cup in 2026, the Ryder Cup in 2025 and the U.S. Open golf tourney in 2026. Tickets will go on sale for the World Cup next year, he said.

Governor Gavin Newsom and Visit California CEO Caroline Beteta announced that travel spending in the state reached an all-time high of $150.4 billion USD last year, surpassing the record $144.9 billion spent in 2019

Hubertus Funke, EVP & Chief Tourism Officer, San Francisco Travel, said it’s a great time for Canadians to visit.

“We have a lot going on in San Francisco this summer,” he said. “New hotels, new attractions., always new restaurants coming on line, so it’s a really exciting time for Canadians to visit.”

“With increased flight connectivity, it’s probably never been easier for Canadians to visit San Francisco.”

California Plaza at IPW 2024 in Los Angeles. US Travel Assn. Photo

OTHER NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS … PLUS IPW 2025

Here are a few other highlights from IPW Los Angeles:

• Los Angeles will host World Cup games in 2026, as well as the NBA All-Star Game that year. The Super Bowl will be in LA in 2027 and the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
• Cirque du Soleil returns to Santa Monica later this year, with a performance area near the famous Santa Monica Pier. The city will host beach volleyball during the 2028 Olympics.
• Universal Orlando Resort’s new Dreamworks Land opens June 14 and features Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and Trolls. Evermore Orlando resort opened in January and features an 8-acre lagoon and a 20-acre sandy beach, along with 2 to 11-bedroom villas. The Conrad Orlando, the city’s first Hilton luxury brand, opened in January.

• NYC Tourism and Conventions President and CEO Fred Dixon (the next president and CEO of Brand USA) said JFK airport is getting a multi-billion dollar facelift, while LGA recently underwent its own major improvement. Top new hotels include the Aman New York in Midtown, the Warren Street Hotel in Tribeca, and The Surrey, a Corinthia hotel on the Upper East Side. The Waldorf-Astoria has been going a massive renovation for a few years and is expected to re-open later this year.
• Salt Lake City, Utah has been listed as the preferred host for the 2034 Winter Olympics;
•  The Grand Ole Opry, the longest-running live radio show in the U.S., celebrates its 100th anniversary  in 2025. Next year also marks what would’ve been Elvis Presley’s 90th birthday, and B.B. King’s 1o0th birthday.

Diana Ross performs at IPW 2024 in Los Angeles. US Travel Association Photo

This year’s IPW featured a bevy of top names. Diana Ross sang at the Los Angeles Coliseum at the official opening night affair, while Keanu Reeves and his band, Dogstar, took to the stage during one of the lunches. Ziggy Marley performed at the final lunch, sponsored by Kissimmee, Florida.

The opening reception was held outdoors at the stunning Getty Museum, while two night events were staged at the Santa Monica Pier. Attendees also witnessed wonderful performances from six New York City plays, courtesy of Broadway Inbound. The final night of IPW in L.A. was held at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Visit California built a temporary facility called California Plaza just outside the downtown Los Angeles Convention Center, with excellent food and California wine and beer from up and down the state, as well as celebrity chefs and giveaways.

The U.S. Travel Association sad IPW 2024 hosted more than 5,700 delegates, including 2,000 buyers and media from nearly 70 countries.

Next year’s IPW will be held in Chicago from 14JUN to 18JUN.

Canadians love a good beach. And we love big cities. Oh, and theme parks, too.