Destroyed homes after the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles in January 2025.
Photographer: Roger Kisby/BloombergGovernment
After Disasters, Cities Race to Rescue Tourism. Here’s the Playbook.
In the wake of wildfires, storms and human-caused cataclysms, state and local visitors bureaus step in to protect the brand and stage the tourist comeback.
It’s been a tough year for tourism boosters in Los Angeles. In January, devastating wildfires flared in Pasadena and Pacific Palisades, killing 31 people and destroying thousands of homes. With spring came the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and the counterprotests that rippled through several neighborhoods. Amid the flood of disruptions, the nation’s second-largest city saw a dip in visitors.
Luckily, they had a plan for that.