Anaheim’s tourism bureau saw 2025 slowed by fires, inflation, tariffs and geopolitical issues, but Visit Anaheim President and CEO Mike Waterman optimistically said 2026 is poised to be the best performing in the organization’s 65-year history.
The last few months of 2025 “showed us our momentum was returning,” Waterman said. “And January is looking really, really strong.”
Visit Anaheim is a not-for-profit that books the Anaheim Convention Center and markets the city. It’s funded by the lion’s share of a 2% assessment on a night’s stay collected by hotels in the Anaheim Tourism Improvement District, which spans 1,100 acres and includes the area immediately surrounding the Disneyland Resort and convention center.
Already, the organization announced this month it has secured 142 conventions, meetings and events for this year. It just welcomed by the massive NAMM convention, bringing music industry leaders to town.
“What these events will give us is return for years to come,” Waterman told a crowd of city leaders, hoteliers and tourism businesses that gathered at The Westin Anaheim Resort for Visit Anaheim’s 65th annual meeting.
Combined, this year’s booked visits are anticipated to generate almost 600,000 overnight hotel stays and $1.74 billion in total economic impact for the region, he said.
Anaheim was fifth in the nation last year for hotel occupancies, Waterman reported, with an average 72.3% occupancy rate year-round. A 3% increase is projected for this year.
The convention bookings are also projected to bring $22.1 million in Transient Occupancy Tax, or hotel tax, revenue to city coffers. The 15% tax on hotel stays generates nearly 40% of Anaheim’s budget. This fiscal year, Anaheim leaders expects the tax to generate $246.6 million, according to city estimates.
Visit Anaheim also plans to draw tourists by capitalizing on the investments and events that are on the city’s doorstep, including the multi-billion dollar DisneylandForward expansion of themepark offerings, the under construction OCVibe entertainment and residential district at the Honda Center, Disneyland’s 70th anniversary, this year’s World Cup in Los Angeles and the LA28 Olympics, where indoor volleyball is planned for the Honda Center.
Waterman said he hopes to position Anaheim as a hub for volleyball. And as one of its initiatives, Visit Anaheim is also tapping into the comedy scene, he said, with “Stand Up, Chow Down” — a comedy and culinary festival planned to debut April Fools’ weekend and headlined by comedian Adam Ray.
This year, Waterman said, “we are poised for success.”