Official Press Release from Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board:
LOS ANGELES (April 28, 2016) – Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (L.A. Tourism), the official tourism marketing organization for Los Angeles, announced today that the company will retain Connect Worldwide as representation in Japan.
“Japan is the fourth largest overseas market for Los Angeles and we are pleased to establish this new representation with Connect Worldwide LLC,” said Ernest Wooden Jr. President & CEO of L.A. Tourism. “L.A. is firmly positioned to reach 50 million visitors by 2020 and we look forward to welcoming more Japanese travelers to help achieve this goal.”
In 2014, 310,000 Japanese travelers visited L.A., accounting for approximately $407 million in direct spending. Japan’s tourism numbers continue to grow with a 6.5% increase in visitation from 2013 to 2014 and a 1.6% increase from 2014 to 2015.
Connect Worldwide LLC will work closely with the L.A. Tourism team to expand the destination product, foster relationships with travel trade and MICE partners and initiate L.A. focused promotions with airline partners in Japan. The team will also assist with public relations efforts on an as-need basis.
“Los Angeles has been the first destination of choice for Japanese visiting the U.S. Mainland for over 50 years. We are honored to be selected to continue promoting the city to Japanese visitors,” said Marjorie Dewey, President of Connect Worldwide Japan Co., Ltd. “Japanese look to Los Angeles for the latest in lifestyle, fashion, entertainment, culinary and the arts. Our team is excited to showcase all Los Angeles has to offer to the Japanese market and send more visitors to experience this great city.”
About Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board
Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board is a private, non-profit business association whose primary mission is to market and promote Los Angeles as the premier site for leisure travel, meetings and conventions as the City’s official tourism marketing organization. For more information, visit the official visitor information website of Los Angeles at discoverlosangeles.com, join the more than one million people who follow L.A. Tourism’s Facebook page at facebook.com/LosAngelesFan, or follow @discoverLA on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
