CALIFORNIA WOWS
WITH MYRIAD ACTIVITIES
& ATTRACTIONS
California is in growth mode. Tourism spending for 2023, in fact, is expected to reach $155 billion in 2023, according to Visit California, surpassing the previous record-breaking $144.9 billion in 2019.
There are a lot of factors driving the surge in arrivals to the Golden State. As the nation’s most populous state and one of its most geographically diverse, California entices travelers with an array of activities and attractions. Whether it’s big city excitement, breathtaking natural beauty or fascinating cultures from around the globe, California is ready to make vacation dreams come true in a variety of ways.
Photo by Jeffrey Keenan on Unsplash
Photo by Jeffrey Keenan on Unsplash
FASCINATING NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURES
California has the nation’s largest population of Native Americans, with more than 100 federally recognized tribes. And the state is making it easier than ever for travelers to enjoy unique and enriching experiences within these communities. Last year, Visit California launched a Visit Native California initiative focused on this segment, and the www.VisitCalifornia.com/Native website provides travel advisors and their clients with inspiration and information about cultural experiences, culinary travel, agritourism and outdoor adventures in parks and tribal lands.
The website also features a Visit Native California video series that showcases tribal communities with personal stories and insight about traditions and efforts to conserve and celebrate tribal culture. Travelers can find details about everything from shopping to annual Pow Wows, from Native American cultural experiences at national parks to museums like the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum and the Barona Cultural Center and Museum.
FUN FLY-AND-DRIVE ROAD TRIPS
With its excellent network of roadways and magnificently diverse geography and climates, California is an ideal place for a memorable road trip — even if you’re flying to get there. The 2023 California Road Trips guide is designed to help fly-in visitors plan multi-destination, fly-and-drive vacations. The guide features 13 detailed itineraries, each of which begins and ends at one of California’s 27 commercial airports.
Three-time NBA champion Dwayne Wade — who has called Los Angeles home since retiring in 2019 — is the cover man for the latest issue, and he shares some of his favorite places in the Golden State. Complete itineraries include “Animals, Desert and Offbeat Art,” which combines kid-friendly destinations like LEGOLAND California and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park with artistic vibes and stargazing in Borrego Springs. Nature lovers, meanwhile, might opt for “National Park Adventures,” a 412-mile itinerary that runs from Fresno Yosemite Airport through Yosemite National Park and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Travel advisors and clients can order a printed copy of the guide here: https://www.visitcalifornia.com/travel-guides/
PINK-HUED PHOTO OPS
The recent “Barbie” movie has sent the long-popular doll to the forefront of pop culture yet again, and California is a must-visit destination for anyone looking to immerse themselves in the Barbiecore pop aesthetic. Travelers can find plenty of pink-hued getaways and photo opportunities in destinations like Greater Palm Springs, where the Trixie Motel was designed by drag queen Trixie Mattel and featured on an HGTV series.
Fans of pink should also consider a visit to the La Valencia Hotel, which is known as the “pink lady of La Jolla” in San Diego, as well as the Langham hotel in Pasadena and the Pink Wall at the Paul Smith flagship store on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. In Santa Barbara, colorful sites include the gardens of Lotusland, which includes a pink Mediterranean-style estate called Cuesta Linda, while in San Luis Obispo County, travelers can check into the Madonna Inn, where room 218 is a dramatic statement in pink.
SPORTING EXCITEMENT
The return of the X Games to Southern California in July 2022 is just one example of how the state is a hotspot for action sports — including skateboarding, BMX and motocross, to name a few. Skateboarding, in fact, was first developed by surfers near Los Angeles in the 1950s, so it’s no wonder that skateboarders are drawn to the Golden State.
California is dotted with lots of excellent skateboarding venues, from Caldwell Skate Park in Redding and Eureka Waterfront Trail in Eureka to the Vans Off the Wall Skatepark in Huntington Beach and the Prince Memorial Skatepark in Oceanside. And fans can immerse themselves in skateboard culture at places like Caffeine Fix, a skater-punk-themed coffee house in San Luis Obispo, and Santa Monica’s Dogtown Movement, a café that stands as a tribute to the 1970s Santa Monica-based surf team that became full-time skaters.
DELICIOUS DISHES
California is paradise for foodies, as evidenced by the recently released fifth edition of the MICHELIN Guide California. The latest edition serves as a helpful guide to some of the state’s best cuisine, with a total of 614 eateries featured. Especially impressive: California is home to 15 of only 17 North American recipients of the MICHELIN Green Star, which recognizes leadership in sustainability practices.
The six restaurants that received a MICHELIN star for the first time in this year’s guide are located in San Francisco, Calistoga, Carmel-by-the Sea, Long Beach and Oceanside. The guide also includes 10 new Bib Gourmand recipients, which recognize eateries for great food at a great value, and four new Green Star recipients, located in San Francisco, Long Beach, Oakland and Los Angeles.
COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY
California is known for its forward-thinking, innovative approach to sustainability. One of the newest initiatives is a partnership with Kind Traveler to create the first statewide “regenerative travel” program. The program aims to enable travelers and advisors to have a more positive impact on local communities while traveling, while also rewarding travelers with special offers from more than 58 hotels in 13 destinations around the state.
Using Kind Traveler’s Give + Get hotel booking and education platform, travelers can unlock exclusive deals from participating Kind Hotels when they donate $10 or more to a local charity that operates in a community the traveler is visiting, or to another charity listed on the platform. Visit California is the first state Destination Marketing Organization to mobilize Kind Traveler’s Kind Destination Program, underscoring the state’s commitment to sustainability in tourism.
SPARKLING BEACHES
The image of California is inextricably linked to beautiful beaches. The state has more than 1,000 miles of beaches, in fact, and California’s State Parks manage about 340 miles of them. Whether it’s a lively day of swimming and beach sports, a relaxing night sleeping at a beach campsite or a few hours spent admiring spectacular views from an uncrowded stretch of sand, California’s beaches have lots to offer.
Travelers can choose the beach that best matches their mood and style. Oxnard’s Hollywood Beach, for example, is great for swimming, surfing and viewing the Channel Islands. Cardiff State Beach, meanwhile, is home to the best tidepools in Encinitas, made from 45-million-year-old sedimentary rocks embedded with fossils. Año Nuevo State Park, located on the San Francisco Peninsula, is a rewarding place to observe wildlife — namely, the thousands of elephant seals that return every year to breed.
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