BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Visit California released its 2022 tourism study results, showing how regions are bouncing back after the pandemic. The results showed that Kern County is rising above the ranks.
Kern County is ahead of the pre-pandemic peak of spending, only one of two counties to do so. Employment in the tourism industry in Kern rose over five percent higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Caroline Beteta, the CEO of Visit California, said that the lack of funds for tourism during the pandemic made people realize the value of investing in their backyard.
“The news was positive because when something as a resource as precious as tourism or visitor spending disappears, people all of a sudden appreciate the value that the tourism and spending brings into communities, into Main Street, to maintain all those great restaurants in experiences that locals get to enjoy," said Beteta.
Beteta also said that Kern County tourism depends more on Californians and those in nearby states. Since international travel was halted during the pandemic, those driving in to explore Kern County benefited the market.
“Kern County is dependent on regional tourism, like Californians or nearby Phoenix," explained Betata. "Those feeder markets that are nearby versus highly dependent on international or group meetings business, like our Gateway cities. So leisure has rebounded the fastest in Kern County, that Central Valley, was a benefactor of that trend.”
The study covered topics such as what attractions in the Central Valley people see the most and the ones they see the least, as well as areas and activities, such as mountains, nightlife, malls, and music festivals.
The study also has the demographics of each region across the state and each region's surveyed opinion on California’s commitment to diversity, the environment, and safety.
The results of the study, as well as Central Valley and Kern County demographics, can be read below.
