On Hollywood Boulevard, there are fewer tourists, and the ones who show up spend less, says Salim Osman. He works for Ride Like A Star, an exotic car company that rents to visitors looking to take a luxury vehicle for a spin and snap the quintessential L.A. selfie.<\/p>\n
Last year, crowds lined up to rent its Ferraris and Porches for around $200 an hour, Salim says. However, this summer, foot traffic dropped by nearly 50%.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt used to be shoulder to shoulder out here,\u201d he said, looking along the boulevard. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot harder for people to come here, or they\u2019re afraid of what\u2019s going on here, so they just don\u2019t come.\u201d<\/p>\n
Business has been slow around the TCL Chinese Theater, where visitors place their hands into the concrete handprints of celebrities like Kristen Stewart and Denzel Washington. <\/p>\n
There were fewer people to hop onto sightseeing buses, stop inside Madame Tussauds wax museum and snap impromptu photos with patrolling characters such as Spiderman and Mickey Mouse. Souvenir shops nearby say they have also had to increase the prices of many of their knick-knacks because of tariffs and a decline in sales. <\/p>\n
Of all the state\u2019s international travelers, the most significant absence was from Canadian tourists. Arrivals from visitors from up north fell around 30% in June and July. <\/p>\n
Summer in Palm Springs was okay this year, said its mayor, Ron deHarte, but only because domestic tourists offset the sharp decline in Canadians. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve hurt our Canadian Friends with actions that the administration has taken. It\u2019s understandable,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t know how long they won\u2019t want to travel to the States, but we\u2019re hopeful that it is short-term.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A view of travelers at Long Beach Airport in Long Beach. Long Beach Airport saw a 10.5% decrease in passenger traffic when compared to 2024.<\/p>\n
(Allen J. Schaben\/Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n
Visitors from China, India and Germany also avoided the state. Surprisingly, Mexican tourists didn\u2019t stay away. There were 5.4% more arrivals from our southern neighbor despite the ICE raids, which often targeted Latino people. <\/p>\n
There was a dip in traffic to most Los Angeles airports. With the World Cup<\/a> on the books for next year and the Summer Olympics<\/a> gearing up in 2028, the growing decline in tourism is worrisome for many across all industries. <\/p>\n Cynthia Guidry, the director of the Long Beach Airport, says reduced airline schedules, economic pressures and rising costs also impacted airport traffic. She\u2019s currently seeking out ways to best prepare for the Olympics, which don\u2019t involve flight revenue, such as dining at the airport and souvenir shopping. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re focused on attracting new service, growing non-aeronautical revenue and managing expenses to stay resilient,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n