Placer County tourism hits record high, outpacing California growth
WELCOME BACK. IN CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL TRAVEL AND TOURISM WEEK, NEW NUMBERS SHOW JUST HOW STRONG TRAVEL SPENDING HAS BECOME IN PLACER COUNTY. VISIT PLACER SAYS VISITOR SPENDING HIT A RECORD IN 2025, OUTPACING STATEWIDE GROWTH AND SUPPORTING THOUSANDS OF LOCAL JOBS. JOINING US THIS MORNING IS VISIT PLACER CEO ROB HASWELL. ROB, THANKS FOR BEING HERE. GOOD MORNING. GREAT. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION IS WHAT DO YOU THINK IS DRIVING THIS GROWTH. WELL THERE’S A LOT GOING ON OUT IN PLACER COUNTY FOR SURE. WE’VE GOT A GREAT LIFESTYLE VIBE AND HONESTLY WE WE’RE DOING GREAT IN THE HOTEL SECTOR AND OUR SPORTS TOURISM ECONOMY IS BOOMING. OUR FRIENDS DOWN IN SOUTH PLACER, THE PLACER VALLEY TOURISM ARE DOING A GREAT JOB WITH THAT. AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK WITH THE CULINARY, I THINK YOU’RE STARTING TO SEE PEOPLE ARE REALLY LOOKING FOR DIFFERENT, MORE AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES WHEN THEY TRAVEL. TIME. AND YOU COME OUT TO PLACER COUNTY AND YOU’VE GOT GREAT FOOD, GREAT OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. OBVIOUSLY, WE’VE GOT NORTH SHORE, LAKE TAHOE, AND WE HAD A GOOD SKIER AS WELL. SO JUST A LOT OF I THINK, I THINK REALLY IN THE POST-PANDEMIC WORLD, FOLKS HAVE KIND OF DISCOVERED PLACER AND REALLY LIKE THAT OUTDOOR KIND OF LIFESTYLE, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCE. AND WE’VE GOT THE OLD HISTORIC, YOU KNOW, DOWNTOWNS. SO THE GREAT HISTORY AS WELL. SO IT’S JUST A WHOLE BUNCH OF THINGS HAVE REALLY HELPED. SO NO, NO ONE THING. SO A COMBINATION OF THINGS REALLY. WHAT DOES THE REPORT SPECIFICALLY SAY? WHAT KIND OF THINGS DOES IT EXPLORE? YEAH. SO IF YOU LOOKED AT IT STATEWIDE, WE HAD A MILD GROWTH IN VISITOR SPENDING WAS UP ABOUT 1.7%. SO WHAT THE REPORT SHOWED US IS, YOU KNOW, SPENDING, TOURISM, VISITOR SPENDING IN PLACER COUNTY IS UP 4.1%. AND THE TWO SECTORS THAT ARE REALLY STRONG ARE FOOD SERVICE. SO CULINARY SIDE OF THINGS, THAT WAS UP OVER 5% FOR US AND HOTELS AND, YOU KNOW, IN SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE BOTH REALLY STRONG. SO INDICATING THAT PEOPLE ARE COMING OUT, SPENDING SOME TIME OUT HERE AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF DIGGING IN TO THAT LONGER EXPERIENCE THESE DAYS. THERE’S A BIG SUMMIT THAT’S COMING UP TOO THAT PEOPLE CAN ALSO ATTEND. TELL US MORE ABOUT THAT. YEAH. SO OUR ANNUAL SECOND ANNUAL VISIT PLACER TOURISM AND QUALITY OF LIFE SUMMIT, WHERE IT’S GOING TO BE ON MAY 13TH AT THE FLOWER FARM. EVENT BARN IN LOOMIS. SUPER COOL. WE’RE GOING TO REALLY BE KIND OF CO LAUNCHING. WE ALSO RUN WE, WE DON’T WE, WE DO VISIT PLACERVILLE. WE ALSO DO THE PLACER GROWN AG MARKETING. AND BOTH OF THOSE THINGS WE SEE WORKING IN CONCERT WITH EACH OTHER BECAUSE REALLY FOOD. ONE OF THE THINGS YOU SEE MORE AND MORE IS THAT FOOD IS REALLY A CENTRAL PIECE TO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE’S TRAVEL EXPERIENCES. SO WE’RE SORT OF GOING TO USE THE SUMMIT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CO-LAUNCH THOSE BRANDS IN, IN, YOU KNOW, CONCERT WITH EACH OTHER. SUPER EXCITED. THE CEO OF VISIT CALIFORNIA, CAROLYN BECERRA, IS GOING TO BE THERE. TALK ABOUT REGIONAL AND STATEWIDE FOOD AND HOW THIS ALL FITS. SO WE JUST WE’RE SUPER EXCITED. YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR IT. THERE’S A IT’S GOING FAST, BUT IF YOU GO TO VISIT PLACER.COM, YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, GET A TICKET TO IT. IT’S GOING TO BE GREAT FOOD THERE. WE’RE GOING TO USE A LOT OF OUR LOCAL PRODUCERS TO REALLY TRY TO TO, YOU KNOW, SHOW PEOPLE EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, FOLKS ARE STARTING TO REALLY ENJOY WHEN THEY COME OUT HERE. I LOVE THAT, AGAIN, THE TOURISM AND QUALITY OF LIFE SUMMIT IS ON WEDNESDAY, MAY THE 13TH, 11 TO 4. THERE’S A WINE RECEPTION. THE FLOWER FARM EVENTS BARN AND LOOMIS IS WHERE IT’S HAPPENING AND YOU ARE INVIT
Placer County tourism hits record high, outpacing California growth
Updated: 12:06 PM PDT Apr 30, 2026
Placer County is celebrating a major tourism milestone as visitor spending reached a record $1.57 billion in 2025, according to new data released during National Travel & Tourism Week.Figures from Visit California show the county’s tourism sector grew by 4.1% year-over-year — more than double California’s statewide growth rate of 1.7%.Officials with Visit Placer say the increase reflects growing interest in the region’s mix of outdoor recreation, culinary offerings and historic destinations.Stretching from the outskirts of Sacramento to the Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe region, Placer County spans roughly 1,400 square miles.The county’s continued growth comes ahead of Visit Placer’s second annual Tourism & Quality of Life Summit on May 13 in Loomis, where regional leaders will focus on the role of local food, agriculture and community-driven tourism in sustaining momentum. Visit Placer CEO Rob Haswell joined KCRA on Thursday morning.Click the video above to watch the full interview. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Placer County is celebrating a major tourism milestone as visitor spending reached a record $1.57 billion in 2025, according to new data released during National Travel & Tourism Week.
Figures from Visit California show the county’s tourism sector grew by 4.1% year-over-year — more than double California’s statewide growth rate of 1.7%.
Officials with Visit Placer say the increase reflects growing interest in the region’s mix of outdoor recreation, culinary offerings and historic destinations.
Stretching from the outskirts of Sacramento to the Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe region, Placer County spans roughly 1,400 square miles.
The county’s continued growth comes ahead of Visit Placer’s second annual Tourism & Quality of Life Summit on May 13 in Loomis, where regional leaders will focus on the role of local food, agriculture and community-driven tourism in sustaining momentum.
Visit Placer CEO Rob Haswell joined KCRA on Thursday morning.
Click the video above to watch the full interview.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel