For Ontario International Airport (ONT) and GOCAL (Greater Ontario California), National Transportation Week (May 12-18) and National Travel & Tourism Week (May 19-25) are opportunities to showcase Southern California’s fastest-growing destination.

Tourism is a multibillion-dollar enterprise in the Inland Empire, accounting for more than 180,000 jobs and generating nearly a half-billion dollars in tax revenues to support essential services. At the heart of this robust industry sector is Greater Ontario, home to ONT, California’s most popular airport, as well as the Ontario Convention Center, Toyota Arena and the largest number of hotels and restaurants in the IE. Future developments such as the Brightline West high-speed rail system and planned expansion of the Ontario Convention Center will only enhance the region’s marketability.

“The word is out: The Inland Empire and Greater Ontario are the place to be when it comes to experiencing what Southern California has to offer. Our location, our great natural amenities and the investment that has been made in creating a vibrant and dynamic destination are attracting millions of people a year and creating a buzz around the U.S. and around the world,” said Michael Krouse, GOCAL chief executive officer. 

Research conducted by GOCAL and Visit California show that travel and tourism spending in San Bernardino County exceeds $5.5 billion, including $1.4 billion in spending at restaurants. Total wages paid within the hospitality sector across the Inland Empire exceed $5 billion per year. Today, hospitality ranks among the Inland Empire’s Top 5 employment sectors, and should reach 200,000 within 3-5 years, experts say.

Meanwhile, a recent study by Oxford Economics showed that annual spending by visitors traveling through ONT totals $2.7 billion per year, part of the airport’s $3.8 billion in annual economic impact.

“We’re proud of the role Ontario International Airport plays in the Inland Empire’s emergence as a premier international destination. As much as ONT connects our region to the world, we also connect the world to our region with direct flights from more than two dozen destinations – and growing,” said Atif Elkadi, ONT chief executive officer.

Last week, ONT announced that it expects 2.2 million passengers to use the airport this summer, up nearly 300,000 passengers – or 15% – from a year ago. Ontario has been one of the airport industry’s biggest success stories over the past seven years, with passenger volumes up more than 60%. This year, ONT is adding flights to and from El Paso, Nashville, Houston and Seattle. The airport also is seeing a record number of international travelers, which should only increase with planned expansion of customs services later this year. In its recently published Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan, the Southern California Association of Governments projects passenger volumes of 36 million at ONT by mid-century – nearly six times current levels.

“We are excited about the future, but also determined to grow the right way. Our region is in demand for a variety of reasons, including a quality of life that is unlike anything else in Southern California,” Elkadi said.

For GOCAL, the success of ONT further elevates the region’s attractiveness as a premier destination.

“We’ve got it all. Great recreational assets. Wonderful hotels and restaurants. A fast-growing international airport. And that’s not even counting our entertainment venues such as Toyota Arena, our world-class Ontario Convention Center and a cultural landscape that is attracting residents, businesses and visitors from everywhere,” Krouse said.

And the future is even brighter. With Los Angeles’ hosting of the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics, the arrival of Brightline West’s Las Vegas-to-Rancho Cucamonga high-speed rail service within four years and a projected 25% increase in the Inland Empire’s population between now and 2050, the local hospitality industry is poised for more dynamic growth in the coming years.

“There is no question that the leisure and hospitality industry has become a major economic driver for our region,” said Krouse.

Added Elkadi, “It’s hard to imagine another region with as much to offer as ours. For Ontario International Airport, we see nothing but new opportunities ahead as we meet the needs of this fast-growing region.”

GRAMMY-WINNING LATIN POP DUO JESSE & JOY COME TO THE SHOW AT AGUA CALIENTE RANCHO MIRAGE JULY 22

Extraordinaire Latin pop duo Jesse & Joy are embarking on a tour across the US and Canada to support their latest album, Clichés. Produced by Live Nation, the 29-city tour includes a stop at to The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa on Saturday, July 22 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets for Jesse & Joy are on sale now at www.aguacalientecasinos.com/entertainment.

Thanks to their authenticity, talent, and unique style, Jesse & Joy has become Mexico’s most beloved musical power duo, connecting with millions of people around the world. Their platinum-certified hits like “¡Corre!”, “Llorar”, “Me Voy”, “¿Con Quién se Queda el Perro?”, and “Espacio Sideral” are just a few staples of their vast catalog of memorable lyrics and melodies. Their career has been marked by sold out shows and multiple nominations to the music industry’s most prestigious awards, earning them a Grammy and six Latin Grammys so far, among many other accolades.

Show Information: Jesse & Joy
Date: Saturday, July 22, 2023, at 8:00 p.m.
Location: The Show at Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa, 32-250 Bob Hope Drive in Rancho Mirage.
Purchase tickets:
Prices: $45 – $85, based on seat location.
www.AguaCalienteCasinos.com; (800) 514-3849

TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, APRIL 7 AT 10:00 A.M.

A.J. Croce performs Croce Plays Croce, a special night of music featuring a complete set of classics by his late father Jim Croce, some of his own tunes, and songs that influenced both him and his father. Coming to The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa on Friday, September 22 at 8:00 p.m., this special event features such timeless songs as “Operator,” “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim,” “Time in a Bottle” (a song written for A.J.), “Rapid Roy (The Stock Car Boy),” and “Lovers Cross,” to name a few. Classic covers may include songs by Lieber and Stoller, Bessie Smith, and other folk and roots artists.

Tickets for AJ Croce: “Croce Plays Croce” go on sale to the general public on Friday, April 7 at 10:00 a.m. at www.aguacalientecasinos.com/entertainment.

Jim Croce was an American folk singer with a short-lived professional recording and touring career, and decades of posthumous fame as one of the greatest songwriters and artists ever. With sales surpassing 50 million records, including three No. 1 songs and 10 Top 10 hits, Jim Croce’s short career and long-lived legacy are well-remembered through his era-defining standards like “Operator,” “Time in a Bottle,” and “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown.”

A.J. Croce’s 30-year touring and recording career has produced ten studio albums that have been released via both major and independent labels and have charted 20 Top 20 singles and all ten albums on the radio including Top 40, Americana, and Blues. A virtuoso piano player, he has performed at a TED Talk and gave a master class at the University of Barcelona. Croce has performed on major talk shows and news programs including The Late Show, The Tonight Show, The Today Show, CNN, MTV, and VH1. He’s toured with such esteemed artists as Willie Nelson, Lenny Kravitz, Earth, Wind, and Fire, and B.B. King. While his last album, Just Like Medicine, paired him with producer and soul legend Dan Penn and an all-star cast of players and guests like Vince Gill and Steve Cropper, his new album was born of memories — of favorite artists and shows, but mostly, of late-night gatherings with groups of friends, many of them fellow musicians, with Croce at the piano taking requests. Croce revisits these musical evenings on By Request (out on Compass Records) with 12 personally curated covers that traverse decades and genres, propelled by his spirited, piano mastery and emotive vocals. With a rich catalog of original compositions A.J. first recorded and released a composition of his fathers with a never-before-recorded song “Name of the Game” on his Just Like Medicine release. In 2018 he covered the 1973 hit “I Got A Name” for a Goodyear commercial with Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Show Information: AJ Croce: “Croce Plays Croce”
Date: Friday, September 22, 2023, at 8:00 p.m.
Location: The Show at Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa, 32-250 Bob Hope Drive in Rancho Mirage.
Purchase tickets:
Prices: $25 – $75, based on seat location.
www.AguaCalienteCasinos.com; (800) 514-3849