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By Chris Dong
For The Washington Post
Located a couple of blocks from Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles, The Last Bookstore was not physically affected by the January wildfires that devastated the city. Jenna Spencer and her husband, Josh, co-owners of one of the world’s largest independent book and record retailers, did not have to face the task of relocating or rebuilding. But they have felt the disaster take a different toll.
“There’s a collective exhaustion; people are drained, and they’re in survival mode,” Spencer said. “We’re on fumes.”
January foot traffic to the sprawling 22,000-square-foot store dropped by 80 percent. Weeks later, business was still down 20 percent from the same period in 2024.
The fires were “a massive gut punch” in a multiyear decline in sales, not just among indie bookstores but across tourism-dependent industries in L.A. It’s not only physical destruction that residents must contend with. Businesses ranging from large hotels to small boutiques are feeling the financial fallout of fewer visitors to the city.
“Almost all tourists disappeared,” Spencer said.
Adam Burke, CEO of Los Angeles Tourism, said more than 1,000 local businesses rely on visitor spending.
“Right alongside the entertainment industry, it’s one of the largest drivers of our local economy,” he said.
Some of the hardest-hit establishments were forced to close for days or weeks in January, despite not being near the fire-stricken neighborhoods of Altadena or Pacific Palisades.
In the Arts District, that includes the home decor business Olive Ateliers. Owner Kendall Knox stocks her store with items like vintage candle stands and vases. At the height of the inferno, she pivoted into a community resource center that accepted donations for clothes and toiletries.
“It’s more important than ever to support the city,” Knox said. “We’re of no use to our city if we let disasters like this create a domino effect and take us all down.”
She restarted business operations later in January “to keep things moving.”
Tommy Lei, an artist and photographer in Pasadena, said the community is taking it one day at a time following years of setbacks, from the pandemic to a writers strike and now the wildfires.
“We’re still here, still creating, still working; we just need more people to support our practices and causes,” he said.
Lei’s home and studio were spared from the blaze, and as one of the “lucky ones,” he was inspired to create an ongoing artist relief fund at tommylei.com/artist-fire-relief.
In the two weeks following the Palisades and Eaton fires, canceled bookings at The Georgian, a boutique hotel in Santa Monica, amounted to nearly $700,000.
The fires were personal for the hotel’s co-owners, Nicolo Rusconi and Jon Blanchard. Rusconi’s home was completely destroyed. Blanchard’s residence still stands but with smoke damage.
“I’m not sure I’ll ever recognize the full breadth of the loss from this fire,” Rusconi said in a post on Instagram.
Los Angeles will feel the impacts of the fires for years, but there’s a sense of urgency to visit now, said Younes Atallah, general manager at Regent Santa Monica.
“We need travelers to plan a trip and support the local businesses, hotels and restaurants to ensure our coastal city stays the vibrant destination it is,” Atallah said.
Regent, along with The Georgian and dozens of other accommodations, opened its doors to displaced residents in the community. Many places offered complimentary stays or nightly discounts, waived pet fees, and gave other incentives.
Over in West Hollywood, officials say hotel occupancy is still down about 50 percent compared with where it should be. Tom Kiely, CEO of Visit West Hollywood, said business has started to return, but there’s a sense of urgency to get back to the norm.
Visitors looking for accommodations can start their search with properties that helped fire victims and first responders. (That full list can be found at bit.ly/LAHotelsFireHelp, courtesy of the Hotel Association of Los Angeles.)
L.A. Tourism reports that all 250-plus member hotels are open and fully operational. More important, travelers shouldn’t be concerned about contending for rooms with fire evacuees.
Burke said after an increase in hotel occupancy lasted for about two weeks, that level has normalized, and occupancies “are now suffering.”
Beyond hotels, visitors to Los Angeles will find restaurants, attractions and other businesses eager for traffic. Almost all of the city’s major landmarks, including the Santa Monica Pier, the Hollywood Sign and Universal Studios Hollywood, are welcoming guests. Discover L.A. offers an ongoing guide at discoverlosangeles.com/info with frequently asked questions and links for organizations aiding the recovery effort.
To incentivize people to dine out, West Hollywood’s weeklong dining event, “Eat and Drink West Hollywood,” will be extended to the full month of March with limited-edition menus and special offers at eatdrinkweho.com.
Elsewhere, some establishments that are not typically tourist-dependent are struggling in the wake of the fires. Francesco Zimone, who owns Florence Osteria and Piano Bar in Beverly Grove and L’antica Pizzeria da Michele in Hollywood, said weekday traffic has dried up at his restaurants.
“It’s hard, if not impossible, to quantify the damages we will incur in the next few years,” he said.
To that end, Knox recommends tourists venture to parts of Los Angeles that might be slightly off the beaten path: “Make the effort to jump on the freeway. It might be an extra 20- or 30-minute commute, but it helps small businesses keep the lights on.”
Travelers can also contribute by volunteering in person with organizations that have been on the front lines of disaster relief, such as WalkGood L.A., Pasadena Community Job Center and the Hollywood Food Coalition.
Besides supporting the local economy, it’s important to avoid disaster zones including any of the 40,000 acres that were scorched. Visit California notes that 98 percent of Los Angeles remained unaffected by the fires. But even if areas appear accessible, do not attempt to visit the Pacific Palisades and Altadena.
As for the future of travel to the city, Burke is thinking longer term and is “full of optimism.”
Next year, Los Angeles will welcome FIFA World Cup matches, the NBA All-Star Game and the U.S. Women’s Open for golf. SoFi Stadium will host the Super Bowl in 2027, and L.A. is the host city for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
“The run-up of these major world-class sporting events is going to help our community really heal and recover,” he said.
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