In 2023, California’s tourism industry reached a new milestone with revenue exceeding $150 billion. The influx of tourists attending events in Sacramento has greatly boosted the local economy, with Visit Sacramento CEO Mike Testa estimating the impact to be over $4 billion.
Historically, people have visited Sacramento to see the state capitol and gold rush history. However, there is now a diverse range of events attracting visitors, including conventions, music festivals, and food events. Testa credits the focus on food and music fans for the increase in hotel room nights generated by Visit Sacramento in 2023, the highest in the organization’s history.
Similarly, Placer County is also diversifying its tourism offerings by hosting sports tournaments. These tournaments draw in competitors from out of state for events like volleyball, basketball, and quadball. These tournaments bring in thousands of people daily and provide a significant economic boost to the region.
However, both Sacramento and Placer County acknowledge that they need more tourism infrastructure to host larger events and further grow their economies. The lack of sufficient hotel rooms and facilities limits their capacity to attract bigger events and contribute to their upward trajectory in revenue growth. Despite these challenges, events like the Aftershock rock festival and GoldenSky country music festival continue to draw massive crowds and contribute significantly to the thriving tourism industry in Sacramento. By investing in additional resources for tourism development, the region hopes to maintain its upward trajectory towards greater prosperity through increased revenue generation.
