Aust, China top visitor numbers to LA

More Australians visited Los Angeles in 2018 than tourists and business travellers from the UK, Japan, Scandinavia and India.

Tourists pose before the Hollywood sign

More than 50 million visitors travelled to Los Angeles in 2018, setting a new LA tourism record. (AAP)

Aussies love a trip to Tinseltown.

The Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board and city officials announced on Wednesday that 426,000 Australians visited LA in 2018, making Australia the city's second largest overseas market.

China ranked first with an all-time high 1.2 million visitors.

The number of Australian business and leisure travellers visiting LA increased two per cent last year.

Australians beat UK visitors (382,000 - up three per cent); Japanese (349,000 - up 2.5 per cent); Scandinavians (190,000 - up 3.9 per cent); and Indians (130,000 - up 5.1 per cent).

LA had more than 50 million total visitors to set new tourism records for domestic and international visitation.

The rise in numbers comes despite US President Donald Trump's moves over the past two years to tighten borders and restrict the issuing of visas.

"Los Angeles is a place where everyone is welcome, and tourism strengthens our diversity, grows our economy, and supports good-paying jobs for families across our city," LA Mayor Eric Garcetti said.

Mexico remains the top non-overseas international source of visitors to LA with 1.8 million, a four per cent increase, and northern neighbour Canada had 780,000, up 4.5 per cent.


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Source: AAP


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