LA on my mind: Ernest Wooden Jr reveals the one place angels invest in

Last year, the City of Angels welcomed 50 million visitors for the first time. ETPanache catches up with Ernest Wooden Jr, president, Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board.

When Ernest Wooden Jr moved to Los Angeles nearly 20 years ago, he had a bucket list of things to do. The first was emulating action as seen on a photograph of the Pacific Coast Highway.

“It is the most scenic road in the world, according to me,” says Wooden Jr, president of Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board, during a visit to Mumbai.


“There are iconic pictures of people in Mustangs with the tops down. And that’s something that I did. I got down to the Pacific Coast Highway [yes, in a convertible] because I was cool like that. My hair doesn’t fly like that anymore though,” he says, with a laugh.

Decades later, Los Angeles has only gotten better. In fact, last year, Los Angeles welcomed 50 million visitors for the first time. For Wooden Jr, this is fact that the people of LA “are diverse, creative and most importantly, welcoming”.

Lead with tolerance
“If you close your eyes and think about LA what do you see?” asks Wooden Jr. “Around the world, people say, ‘I see the Hollywood sign’ and movies. But after that they get a little scarce on details.”

Wooden says he thinks of it in much bigger terms, with people and lifestyle being front runners in things that make LA, well, LA. “It is a very optimistic place where people believe that tomorrow is going to be better than yesterday. Where possibility is in our genes. We think about opportunity for all and diversity.” And diversity isn’t something they just tolerate; Wooden Jr says they lead with it.

Pitch perfect
Apart from their food, environmental consciousness and museums, Wooden Jr says that sports is a big part of LA’s culture. “We are the sports capital of the world.”

With the US co-hosting the World Cup in 2026 and LA its third Olympics in 2028, it’s no surprise. Wooden Jr says, “We are the only city in the history of the Olympics that has made money at the Games. In fact, the last time we did it in 1984, after all the bills were paid, we had over $200 million, which we continue to have today that we reinvest in sports for young people.”

India calling
While the residents of the sporty city may be a little short on their knowledge of cricket, they have a lot of other things to attract Indian tourists. “We think 30 per cent of people who come from India to LA come for business. We think there is an opportunity to expand their time there and we’ve come up with a name for that — bleisure. It’s a mix of business and leisure. There is just so much to do — so bring your family, do your business and also, go to Universal.”

Trend talk
Indian travel patterns are not uncommon from global trends, according to Wooden Jr. When it comes to trends, millennials still rule the roost. “I’ve been preoccupied with millennials for a long time. They are growing up and they are now travelling with their children. They used to be the babies themselves. So that’s a big trend that we see.”

Another travel trend that Wooden Jr says is profound is the instances of women travelling alone or in groups. “Young women around the world are getting comfortable travelling on their own. And that puts pressure on us in the hospitality industry because we have to make it safe and secure. To make sure they are comfortable”.