Visitors Add Nearly a Half Billion Dollars to Irvine Economy

IRVINE, Calif., May 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Destination Irvine released statistics from the first-ever Visitor Impact report conducted specifically for Irvine. In 2010, traveler expenditures for Irvine came to an estimated $476.6 million in addition; the industry supported 5,070 full-time equivalent jobs and was responsible for adding $165.3 million in wages and contributing $26.9 million in local and state taxes.

"The tourism industry is a vital source of funding for the City of Irvine, generating revenue that contributes to maintaining a balanced budget and high community standards," said Wendy Haase, Director Tourism Marketing, Destination Irvine. "The objective of this report is to document the value of tourism to the local economy; it is estimated that without visitor spending, resident households in Irvine would each pay $345 more a year in state and local taxes."

Irvine's major visitor spending categories are as follows:

These numbers are estimates from the Irvine Visitor Impact Report, Calendar Year 2010, a tourism economic impact study conducted by Dean Runyan Associates. Dean Runyan Associates also conducts the California Travel Impacts by County reports for the California Travel and Tourism Commission. The full report can be viewed at www.destinationirvine.com/tourism

About Destination Irvine

Under the Irvine Chamber of Commerce, a non-profit 501(c)6, Destination Irvine, enacted by the City and funded by a self-imposed assessment through a Hotel Improvement District (H.I.D.) positions Irvine as a destination for visitors, meetings and groups. Destination Irvine through direct sales efforts including database marketing, lead generation, trade show participation, and familiarization tours, sells the destination. In addition, Destination Irvine promotes Irvine through marketing, advertising and public relations efforts. 

Contact:
Wendy Haase, Director of Tourism Marketing
Destination Irvine
949-660-9112 x 112
[email protected]

SOURCE Destination Irvine