Travel Spending in Santa Ana
Surpassed 2023 by Nearly 5%
Travel Santa Ana released statistics from the 2024 Economic Impact of Travel report conducted for Santa Ana by Dean Runyan Associates. In 2024, traveler expenditures from more than 900,000 Santa Ana visitors were estimated at $394 million, an increase of more than 4.8% over 2023.
The travel industry contributed more than $27 million in local and state taxes.
Without these travel-generated tax receipts, resident households in Santa Ana would pay $170 more per year in local taxes.
"Every visitor who comes to Santa Ana helps support the people and places that make our community special," said Wendy Haase-Roberts, President & CEO of Travel Santa Ana. "Visitors contribute to our city's quality of life by helping fund essential services like public safety, our vibrant arts and culture, and beautiful parks. They not only support local businesses but also help reduce the tax burden on our residents."
The travel industry supported 3,110 jobs in Santa Ana and contributed more than $148 million in direct earnings (including wages, benefits, and proprietor income) to the local economy.
Overall, the Santa Ana travel industry gained approximately 250 jobs in 2024, representing an 8.8% increase compared to the previous year.
Santa Ana’s major visitor spending categories were as follows: dining ($109.2 million), accommodations ($96.1 million), arts, entertainment, and recreation ($78.7 million), local transportation and gas ($58.9 million), retail sales ($34.8 million), and food stores ($16.6 million).
In Orange County, travel spending grew by 1.7% in 2024 to $14.4 million. Last year, the travel sector supported 138,960 jobs in the county, an increase of 6.4% over the previous year. County visitor-generated tax revenue for state and local government increased by 3.3% to nearly $1.3 million.
Statewide, travel spending grew by 3% in 2024 to $157.3 billion. Last year, the travel sector supported 1,165,760 jobs in California. Approximately 23,950 jobs were generated, representing a 2.1% increase compared to the previous year. Visitor-generated tax revenue for state and local government grew by 3.1% to $12.6 billion.
These numbers are estimates from the Economic Impact of Travel report, Calendar Year 2024, a tourism economic impact study conducted by Dean Runyan Associates for Santa Ana. Dean Runyan Associates also conducts the California Travel Impacts by County reports for Visit California.
Click here for the full Santa Ana report.
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