EMPLOYMENT : L.A. County Tourism May Lose $1.1 Billion

Los Angeles County stands to lose $1.1 billion in visitor spending and as many as 31,000 hotel, restaurant and other tourist-dependent jobs over the next year as a result of the recent riots, according to a study released Thursday.

Officials from the Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Bureau, which commissioned the study immediately after the riots, said they hope that by publicizing the potential dire effects from the riots, the tourism industry will be given a top priority in efforts to rebuild the city.

“It’s fine to think of giving money to social programs,” said a bureau spokesman, “but the fact is that the tourism industry employs a lot of people, and without jobs, there can be no real rebuilding.”

The authors of the study, Economic Research Associates, a national economic consulting firm, said that the effects of the riots might be offset if the county embarks on an aggressive educational program aimed at international travelers.

Tourism, the county’s second-largest industry, generates about $7 billion per year, and about 392,000 workers are employed in the county’s hotels, theme parks and other businesses catering to visitors.

The study predicted that tourists from foreign countries are most likely to stay away from Los Angles out of fear for their safety. According to the report, international tourism could decline 30% to 40% through the summer and moderate to a 15% to 25% slide through next April.

Visits by American tourists, the report said, could drop 15% to 25% through the summer and 5% to 10% through next April.

Domestic travelers are said to be less affected by the riots because they are likely to know more about them. They are also more likely to realize that there are tourist attractions in areas largely unaffected by the unrest.

The study’s authors said the real losses are likely to come from the dramatic decline in international travelers. Although foreigners account for 30% of all visitors to the county, the study’s authors noted that they tend to stay longer and spend more than their American counterparts.