MICHAEL JACKSON GIVES LA AN ECONOMIC BOOST!Los Angeles may be experiencing an economic slump, but the Michael Jackson memorial has already sparked an increase in business for hotels, restaurants, airlines and tourist attractions.
The Los Angeles Times reports that hotels around Staples Center, the site of Tuesday's memorial service, were booked to capacity shortly after last Thursday's announcement of the event.
"The magnitude of this event is 10 to 100 times of any other event we've had," said John Kelly, general manager of the Holiday Inn across from Staples. Similarly the Hilton Checkers hotel nearby reported over 80 percent occupancy.
On Tuesday restaurants are also preparing for a large influx of crowds.
"We don't really know what to expect," said Jenny Nikoletich, a manager at the Yard House, a restaurant in L.A. Live, which is next to Staples Center. "We are preparing like we did for the Laker parade," which took place last month.
Fox News reported that Virgin Atlantic sold out on all flights over the weekend. British Airways also said it has seen a huge jump in bookings since Friday, a day after the memorial service details were released.
Even though the local economy is seeing a jump in business, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is asking fans for donations to help defray the $4 million it is costing the city to host the funeral and memorial service, according to TMZ.com .
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1 comments:
Los Angeles will have lost absolutely nothing for having hosted this service. Besides all the Jackson money that's already been pumped into that economy over the years, they'll still reap numerous benefits in times to come.
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