INdustry news
OCTOBER 10, 2026
Both Southwest and Alaska Airlines are aggressively adding flights at San Diego (SAN), and largely as a result of that competition, the Southern California airport has become the fastest-growing in the world. According to a new analysis, the number of passenger flights at SAN this year has jumped by 13% over 2025, beating out the 12% growth rate at Vietnam’s Hanoi Airport and at Switzerland’s Zurich Airport, and the 11% increase at Chicago O’Hare.
OCTOBER 6, 2026
Five California destinations have been ranked among the best cities in the U.S. in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards. Under “best small cities,” Santa Barbara was ranked fifth while Headlsburg ranked eighth. Under “best big cities,” California secured three of the top ten spots. San Diego was ranked tenth, Oakland came in at fifth, and San Francisco secured the second-place spot.
OCTOBER 5, 2026
Brand USA has appointed Caroline Beteta as its interim president and CEO, effective November 9. Her focus is to ensure that Congress reauthorizes Brand USA before its current authorization expires on September 30, 2027. Beteta has deep ties to Brand USA, including helping to lay the groundwork for its 2011 founding. While Beteta originally planned to retire this year, she's sticking around to help the industry tackle this critical lobbying effort.
OCTOBER 1, 2026
The FAA recently announced that it has hired 2,235 air traffic controller trainees—far exceeding its air traffic controller hiring goals for fiscal year 2026. The new record comes on the heels of the agency's highly publicized and highly successful campaign targeting gamers that recruited more than 12,000 Americans to apply in just 24 hours. Over 1,300 trainees have successfully graduated from the academy already this fiscal year.
SEPTEMBER 29, 2026
Despite the tourism boost from the World Cup, international visitation fell further this summer. In a meeting with President Donald Trump, U.S. Travel CEO Geoff Freeman suggested several ways to reverse the decline, including making it easier for tourists to enter the country, improving processes and perceptions of U.S. tourism, and protecting funding for promoting U.S. tourism and combating misinformation.
SEPTEMBER 28, 2026
It’s important to look at internships not as temporary jobs or resume builders, but as an important part of hospitality’s long-term talent strategy, according to Newport Hospitality Group. The industry shouldn’t wait until graduation and compete for the same pool of candidates. Work must begin earlier, when a freshman walks through the back of a hotel and realizes how many careers exist behind the guest experience.
SEPTEMBER 25, 2026
The tension between tourists, residents, and vacation rental tech companies is coming to a boil, leading to increased attempts to influence the small but powerful California Coastal Commission. In Pacifica, officials recently tried to pass rules aimed at curtailing short-term vacation rentals, only to meet unexpected resistance. That led to delays and watered down regulations that some sources attribute to Airbnb’s lobbying efforts.
SEPTEMBER 25, 2026
LA28 has unveiled the first details of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Triathlon courses in the Venice Beach Zone in California. The loop-style courses will feature scenic routes throughout the historic beachfront neighborhood in Los Angeles, with a singular transition area and a photo-finish backdrop against the Pacific coastline. The city is excited for the opportunity to showcase everything that makes Venice unforgettable.
SEPTEMBER 23, 2026
Airbnb is working with American Farmland Trust to offer farmers and ranchers up to $10,000 each to start or expand agritourism operations—all part of a new Farm to Stay Grant Program set to open for applications in November. The grant program targets producers who want to convert working farms into overnight stays or launch on-farm experiences but lack the capital to prepare their properties.
SEPTEMBER 20, 2026
The California High-Speed Rail project is expected to run out of funding by December 2027, and it could mean an even shorter first segment through the Central Valley than planned. Inspector General Benjamin Belnap said state leaders next year will need to quickly either find money in the budget or take out a loan to avoid the issue. If not, Californians can expect an even shorter track between Madera and Poplar Avenue, in rural Kern County.
SEPTEMBER 18, 2026
Anaheim, California (Honda Center) has been named one of the three U.S. cities and venues that will host the first FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Cup, which will take place in the U.S. and Canada next summer. All three cities were chosen in part for being volleyball hotbeds, as well as having world-class venues with appropriate seating capacities. Anaheim will host the finals, as well as the semifinals and quarterfinals.
SEPTEMBER 17, 2026
Huntington Beach has become California's first city to achieve Sensory Inclusive certification, which provides accessibility training for staff who interact with guests. Huntington Beach said 1,538 employees across the city's restaurants, retail businesses, and attractions—in addition to members in public safety, including lifeguards and police officers—took part in the education. The certification expands on the city's existing accessibility efforts.
SEPTEMBER 17, 2026
The House has passed the bipartisan American Music Tourism Act. As laid out in the bill, the Commerce Department’s assistant secretary for travel and tourism will work to increase international business and leisure travel to the U.S.—specifically to sites that are important to music tourism. The definition of “music tourism” covers travel to music-related attractions, including museums, studios, and venues.
SEPTEMBER 16, 2026
According to a new study, the LA28 Olympic Games are projected to draw around two million visitors to the region, all generating between $1.6 billion to $4.3 billion in direct visitor spending in Los Angeles County alone. Combined federal, state, and local tax revenue is expected to be between $5.1 billion and $5.9 billion. Plus, an expected $8.35 billion in investment will improve accessibility, venues, transportation, and airports.
SEPTEMBER 11, 2026
In the past 25 years, airport security has been overhauled and reimagined to make flying safer and more efficient. Among the first and most impactful shifts was the creation of the TSA. REAL ID requirements are now in effect. TSA pre-check and trusted traveler programs have aided in moving people through security quickly. And as biometric screenings increase, the integration of AI could change how bags are screened in the future.
SEPTEMBER 9, 2026
Last week, Visit California arrived in Australia with its largest trade and media delegation in eight years. The week-long mission brought 42 delegates from 22 California destinations, attractions, and hospitality brands to Sydney and Melbourne. Across five days, the delegation took part in 19 events and meetings, connecting with more than 70 senior travel trade partners and more than 200 frontline travel agents.
SEPTEMBER 8, 2026
Travel industry CEOs recently met with President Trump at the White House to discuss inbound travel following the success of the FIFA World Cup and America’s 250th birthday. Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of U.S. Travel, shared the group’s ambitious next goal: to reach 100 million international visitors per year by 2030. This would make the U.S. the most-visited country in the world, which is currently France.
SEPTEMBER 7, 2026
Construction crews are installing Italian stonework onto the expensive new office building for lawmakers. The granite controversy is just one example of the secrecy surrounding the project. Project leaders have required thousands of people to sign nondisclosure agreements, limiting public access to information. As of July, project leaders confirmed the building's estimated cost jumped to $1.2 billion—up from $543 million in 2018.
SEPTEMBER 5, 2026
A new kind of escape is taking shape across rural destinations—where travelers are no longer content to simply enjoy scenic countryside views, but instead, live within them. Immersive farm stays are becoming much more than sleeping on a farm. The newer version is essentially hospitality built around the working landscape where guests stay on or near an active farm and participate in food, wine, nature, craft, wellness, and agricultural life.
SEPTEMBER 3, 2026
Each summer for nearly two decades, the Dallas Cowboys have packed up operations and traveled nearly 1,500 miles to Oxnard for training camp, making the seaside city synonymous with America’s most popular football team. Millions of Ventura County locals and out-of-state visitors have flocked to the city to catch a glimpse of the team’s stars. It’s estimated that training camp generated $3.6 million in direct spending for the region.
AUGUST 31, 2026
Hotter ocean waters are pushing tide lines higher. Powerful Pacific hurricanes are lashing the shoreline with series of strong waves, leaving teetering infrastructure and blotted-out beaches in their wake. From Carlsbad to Malibu to Santa Cruz, erosion is already remaking the maps of popular beaches in dramatic ways. And the forecast for a powerful El Niño this winter is expected to put more pressure on beaches.
AUGUST 26, 2026
Brand USA has announced that President and CEO Fred Dixon has made the decision to step down effective November 13, returning to NYC Tourism + Conventions as President and CEO. He has presided over Brand USA during a difficult period. Inbound tourism declined 5.5% last year, and Brand USA took a major hit in last year's budget bill, which slashed the federal government's matching funds from $100 million to $20 million.
JUNE 18, 2026
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mandate for state workers to return to the office is back on, and many public employees are fighting to stop it with little time to spare. Dozens showed up at a Senate hearing last Wednesday to support a bill that would strengthen telework standards for state agencies and—they hope—result in more flexibility than Newsom would allow. The measure itself would not stop the governor’s July 1 mandate.
JUNE 17, 2026
Most Americans say they love working from home, but surveys of over half a million Americans from the last 15 years revealed an uncomfortable truth: despite its advantages, remote work has significantly deepened Americans’ isolation and distress. The research doesn’t suggest that work can occur only in the office, but it does mean that employees and companies should make a greater effort to prioritize face-to-face time with colleagues.
JUNE 17, 2026
AAA Travel’s latest data suggests that an estimated 72.2 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home during the Independence Day holiday travel period, which runs from Saturday, June 27 to Sunday, July 5. If the estimate holds, it would surpass the 2025 record of 71.8 million travelers. While the number of Americans driving or flying to their destinations remained about the same, the number of people taking a cruise for the holiday increased the most.
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