It’s been a truly difficult start to 2025, right? Wouldn’t we all love to just pull the plug on 2025, reset it, plug it back in, and start again? Seriously, our hearts and prayers go out to everyone in LA who lost their lives, loved ones, homes, businesses, and neighborhoods in just a few terrifying hours.

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The next challenge, of course, is recovery and rebuilding. This is especially true for LA’s travel and tourism industry, where hotels, restaurants, tour groups, and more are experiencing significant cancellations as the media continues to make it look like all of LA has been leveled. Both Visit California and local Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), including LA Tourism, have responded quickly, making every effort possible to let the country and the world know: LA is open for business. But that’s not easy, and it takes time. However, resiliency is our strength.

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And there is good news—TTMA is a premier organization uniting peers across the Southern California travel industry to collaborate as we work toward restoring travel to LA. TTMA is the only association spanning the entire spectrum of the industry, with members from hotels, restaurants, attractions, tour companies, museums, DMOs, publishers, marketers, consultants, and more. TTMA provides businesses—large, small, and everything in between—with key insights and information sharing at our luncheons.

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TTMA also believes in the value of in-person events and showcasing venues throughout Southern California. Our superior networking gives individual members a “voice” they might not have otherwise, along with a platform to increase exposure for their brand. Examples of our 2024 events included:

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• LA Tourism President and CEO Adam Burke’s update on the state of travel in LA and key initiatives for the coming year

• A spotlight on Arts & Culture and major events driving destination tourism

• An update on the LA Convention Center expansion

• A fun mixer at NeueHouse in Hollywood

• A delicious tour of The Original Farmers Market

• Ending the year with a holiday lunch on the rooftop of Hotel Erwin, overlooking the ocean in Venice

• And who could forget our wonderful celebration of Michael Krouse and LA Live! as our 2024 AKM Award recipients? What a special event that was!​

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Giving Back Is Core to TTMA

TTMA proudly supports giving back to the community and industry. One of our core values is investing in the future of travel and tourism. Our newly founded scholarship was awarded to CSUN RTM student Mahkameh Dolatshahi, who graciously thanked us for the honor. In April, we organized an event at CSUN where travel executives shared insights about their jobs and careers, giving students a unique opportunity to interact with professionals across various travel sectors. We will repeat that event in 2025 and welcome all who would like to attend and engage with faculty and enthusiastic students as they explore their future in the industry.

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What’s Ahead for 2025?

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Our programming committee is already hard at work planning 2025 events, kicking off the year with one of our most popular sessions: Adam Burke’s annual travel update. Stay tuned for announcements and registration details!

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TTMA Is More Than Business—It’s Fun!

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One of the most frequent compliments we receive is that TTMA is fun! But we need your help and support. We continue to offer events at affordable pricing despite the incredible rise in costs, often operating at a break-even point. As a result, membership revenue is vital to covering our annual operating costs.

We know you’ll find our membership fee very reasonable—and members receive reduced event rates (a benefit you don’t want to miss!). A huge thank you to those renewing their memberships and a warm welcome to new members who will help keep TTMA vibrant.

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Here’s to a re-booted 2025!

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Let’s come together, collaborate, have fun, and make this a great year after all.
 

Wendy