Discover Los Angeles, the city’s official destination marketing organisation, has unveiled a global initiative aimed at reinforcing the message to visitors that #everyoneiswelcome.

The video, released on Discover Los Angeles’ social channels, uses a visual metaphor of paper planes, embodying patterns emblematic of countries around the world, which “fly” into Los Angeles.

Set to the soundtrack of Los Angeles-local Father John Misty’s song, “Real Love Baby,” the film takes viewers on a journey through the streets and shores of Los Angeles, and features Layla Shaikely, creator of the #mipsterz (Muslim hipsters) trend.

Tourism Economics, an independent research partner, has predicted a potential three-year loss of 800,000 international visitors due to a perceived anti-welcome sentiment. 

These visitors typically spend $920 each while in LA, totalling a potential loss of $736 million in direct tourism spending. 

This loss would be significant for local businesses and families employed by the hospitality industry, which is one of the largest and healthiest job sectors in LA County

“Diversity and inclusivity have always been cornerstones of Los Angeles culture, but there has never been a more crucial time to reinforce these points,” said Ernest Wooden, president, Discover Los Angeles.

“As one of the planet’s most diverse metro areas with residents hailing from 140 countries who speak more than 224 different languages, Los Angeles is uniquely poised to launch such a campaign.”

See the video below: