Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board launches L.A. Insider – an online training tool for travel trade professionals.

The travel agent-friendly program is the first of its kind for the City of Angels and was designed to aid global tourism in the city. It keeps travel traders up-to-date with the city’s latest offerings, with modules for international markets to follow in the coming months.

As global demand to visit Los Angeles continues to grow, the demand for an online portal of information and selling tool also grows. Just last year, a record 48.3 million tourists (370,000 from the UK) visited L.A. and the figure is expected to reach 50 million by 2020.

“We’re proud to launch such an advanced training program, one that will help our clients discover L.A. like an insider and sell L.A. like an expert,” said Francine Sheridan, Europe and ME regional director of L.A. Tourism.

“L.A. Insider aims to provide the travel trade with a one-stop-shop platform”

“Los Angeles’ welcoming spirit, celebration of diversity, and perfect weather are bringing visitors in greater numbers. New restaurants, attractions, and hotels are opening up quickly to meet demand and it can be difficult to stay on top of all the new developments – L.A. Insider aims to provide the travel trade with a one-stop-shop platform for everything they need.”

Developed by TravPRO, which also launched Visit California’s STAR programme, L.A. Insider will provide easy access to L.A. Tourism’s marketing assets such as fact sheets, maps, videos, and even neighbourhood tours in virtual reality.

In addition, it provides information on the gateway to the West Coast, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and various updates as soon as they become available.

“The launch of L.A. Insider speaks to our commitment to travel trade professionals”

“We are extremely grateful for the ongoing support we receive from our industry partners. The launch of L.A. Insider speaks to our commitment to travel trade professionals by providing them with helpful tools they can use on a daily basis as well as recognition for their expertise,” said Ernest Wooden Jr., president and CEO of L.A. Tourism.

The L.A. Insider app will be available on Android and iOS starting May 1st, 2018.