California’s travel industry has received a $45 million marketing injection thanks to a senate bill aimed at jump starting its tourism economy when it is deemed safe to travel. While many cities across the state have been conducting their own enhanced marketing programs to stimulate local economies, the funds from the one-time appropriation will go directly to invigorate Visit California’s tourism marketing programs, in an attempt to assist with the economic recovery of the state’s pandemic-beleaguered tourism industry. The Sacramento-based Visit California is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop and maintain marketing programs in partnership with the state’s travel industry. Barb Newton, president and chief executive of the California Travel Association, said the funds will deliver more than $10 billion in resulting visitor spending throughout the state, and help restore hundreds of thousands of jobs. “In 2019, California’s tourism industry generated $145 billion in visitor spending, employed 1.2 …