Tourists who visited Santa Monica between January and March of 2013 spent more time and money in the city than those who came the year before, a report from the Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau stated.
Based on a poll of 300 tourists, defined as individuals who reside outside of Los Angeles County, the average visitor spent 4.9 nights in Santa Monica this winter, compared to 3.7 nights in 2012.
The average daily spending per tourist group increased as well, jumping nearly 20 percent from $262 to $312.
"Although this is just one quarter's worth of research and we always like to watch the entire year closely to determine trends and impacts, we're encouraged to see that Santa Monica grew overnight market share this quarter," said Kim Baker, the bureau's vice president of marketing.
Baker noted that tourists are adopting the city's "green" mentality while visiting, making efforts to reduce their carbon footprints.
"Seventy percent of overnight hotel visitors do not use a car once they arrive in Santa Monica … meaning more economic impact with less environmental impact," she said.
The information reflects data collected from high traffic areas throughout the city between January and March of this year.
