The "firefall" effect is seen on Yosemite's El Capitan in this Feb. 24, 2021 image. Photo by Edward Smith

Central Valley tourism continued its upward trajectory in 2023, with the four-county area generating about $3 billion in travel-related spending as California’s tourism industry continues to recover from the pandemic.

The annual report was released by state tourism board Visit California and prepared by Dean Runyan Associates.

Fresno County generated $1.74 billion in direct travel spending in 2023, up nearly 1% annually. Travel spending has steadily increased since a low of $930 million in 2020. Fresno County surpassed pre-pandemic travel spending levels in 2022.

State and local tax receipts from travel totaled $142 million in 2023, up slightly from 2022. Travel-generated employment totaled 16,590, up 5%.

Most categories of Fresno County visitor spending increased in 2023, with the exception of retail sales (down 0.6%) and local transportation and gas (down 7.3%)

Visitor air spending was up nearly 14% last year for a total of $70 million.

Fresno County hotel/motel spending totaled $516 million, down 2.4%. That looks to change in the coming years, with several new hotels aiming to welcome tourists and conventions back to the Central Valley, said Visit Fresno County President and CEO Lisa Oliveira.

“Our goal for 2024 is to book more events and to remind people that Fresno County is a tourist destination by showcasing the incredible things to do in our cities and nearby national parks,” she said in a statement. “It is truly the place to experience California from a different view.”

Tulare County direct travel spending totaled $590 million in 2023, up 0.5% from 2022. Travel-related employment totaled 6,100 last year, up 4.1%. Local and state tax receipts were $53.4 million, up 0.3%

Kings County direct travel spending totaled $226.3 million, down slightly from 2022. Tax receipts totaled 18.7%, down 1.6%. 

In Madera County — a key gateway to Yosemite National Park — direct travel spending totaled $430.1 million in 2023, up nearly 6%. Tax receipts related to travel totaled $37.8 million, up 2.7% from last year.

Overall, California saw more than $150.4 billion in travel-related spending in 2023, an increase of 5.6% from 2022, continuing the upward trend since 2020. Tourism brought in more than $12.7 billion in state and local tax revenue and also added more than 65,000 industry-related jobs, bringing the total of tourism-related employees to more than 1.2 million.