California Business Minute™

Hi, I am Tim Johnson and welcome to the California Business Minute.

The California Travel and Tourism Commission announced a new corporate identity, they
are now known as Visit California.  Although the former name is well known in the
travel industry, they felt that this simpler corporate identity was more effective
in communicating their strategic intent of attracting visitors to key business
audiences. Recall earlier in the year the state’s travel industry changed its name
from CalTIA to CalTravel

Now that the change in identity is complete, reports that the California job market
has screeched to a halt, jobs in travel and tourism continue to grow. During August,
the leisure and hospitality industry gained 1,500 jobs while the state's unemployment
rate increased to 12.1 percent.

California is the leading travel destination in the country. In 2010, travel and
tourism expenditures totaled $95.1 billion annually in California, supported jobs for
873,000 Californians and generated $6.1 billion in state and local tax revenues.

In California, nonfarm jobs decreased by 8,400 during August, increasing the state's
unemployment rate from 12.0 percent in July to 12.1 percent. The leisure and hospitality
category however, gained 1,500 jobs in the month. Only trade, transportation and utilities
and manufacturing added more jobs (5,700 and 1,600 respectively).

This summer, the leisure and hospitality industry continued to play a significant role
in California's labor force and revenue.

• During the summer months of June, July and August, the number of hotel rooms
  sold in California increased by five percent compared to the year before.
• These figures come on top of a seven percent growth in hotel demand and a seven
  percent growth in total travel spending in the state during the 2010 calendar year.
• Overseas travel has grown in 2011 -- through June, point of entry arrivals
  into California grew 14 percent from 2010. Overseas visitors are especially important
  to the state's economy because they typically stay longer -- 11.3 nights -- and spend
  more- $1,200 per trip- than do domestic visitors.

I am Tim Johnson and this has been the California Business Minute.

For further information see www.VisitCalifornia.com