Laurie Armstrong
Director, Media Relations – US & Canada
415.227.2615
larmstrong@sanfrancisco.travel
Elisabeth Wieselthaler-Toelly
Director, Media Relations – International
415.227.2603
ewtoelly@sanfrancisco.travel
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
San Francisco Travel Reports Record-Breaking Economic Impact
in 2014
Visitor Volume Tops 18 Million; Visitor Spending Exceeds $10.67 Billion
March 31, 2015 – The San Francisco Travel Association reported today that San Francisco welcomed 18.01 million
visitors in 2014, an increase of 6.5 percent from 2013. These visitors spent $10.67 billion in 2014, up 13.7 percent from
the previous year. The data was presented during the 10th annual Visitor Industry Outlook & Marketing Conference today
at the Marines’ Memorial Club and Hotel.
“The growth of San Francisco’s visitor industry continued to break records in 2014,” said Joe D'Alessandro, San Francisco
Travel president and CEO. “Both visitor spending and the total number of visitors have reached the highest levels ever.”
The tourism industry generated $665 million in taxes for the City of San Francisco, up eight percent from the previous
year. The number of jobs supported by tourism rose 13.2 percent to 87,005 jobs in 2014, with an annual payroll of $2.67
billion, an increase of 15.9 percent.
In 2014, there was an average of 150,412 visitors in San Francisco each day. Visitor spending equated to $29.23 million
daily (including spending related to meetings and conventions).
San Francisco Travel also reported that 130,000 people stayed in peer-to-peer lodging such as Airbnb. Cruise ships saw
260,000 passengers embark and debark in San Francisco. These market segments had not been tracked previously.
In 2014, San Francisco Travel booked 41 conventions at Moscone Center, which will fill 939,115 hotel room nights
between 2014 and 2029. Their attendees and exhibitors will spend an estimated $679,172,475.
SAN FRANCISCO TRAVEL ANNOUNCES RECORD BREAKING ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR 2014
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“While domestic leisure, business and convention travel continue to expand, most of the industry's growth in recent
years has been in the international sector. Since 2009, international visitor spending in San Francisco has grown 71
percent. In the same time frame, domestic spending grew 25 percent,” D’Alessandro continued. “We estimate that San
Francisco had 4.1 million international visitors in 2014, about 31 percent of our visitors from outside the Bay Area (or 22.8
percent of all visitors). They spent $3.4 billion, or 34 percent of the total spent by all visitors.”
To address San Francisco’s global appeal and opportunities for new visitation from abroad, San Francisco Travel recently
launched a version of its website in Portuguese to reach the fast-growing Brazil market.
The Chinese visitor market is expected to grow by 20 percent in the next three years. San Francisco recently launched
websites in traditional and simplified Chinese in partnership with Brand USA.
Additional website sites in Spanish, Italian, Japanese, German, French and Korean will be launched by June of 2015.
“The year ahead holds significant opportunities for San Francisco to keep up the pace,” D’Alessandro said. “We will
showcase the city’s appeal for conventions and events to Meeting Professional International’s World Education Congress
in August. And next February, we will invite the world to join us for Super Bowl 50 with the game at the new Levi’s
Stadium and the NFL Experience, Fan Village and other events in San Francisco.”
San Francisco Travel continues to expand use of its marketing theme, “Never the same. Always San Francisco.” The
messaging connects the spirit and iconic appeal of a visit to San Francisco, with the promise of a constantly-changing
experience that comes from the new shows, events, attractions, shopping and dining adventures in this ever-evolving
destination. Since the majority of visitors have been to San Francisco before, the theme emphasizes the fact that every
visit will hold something new while still providing the same emotional experience that people love.
In October, San Francisco Travel re-launched its website, www.sanfrancisco.travel, with a bold new design, large,
dramatic photos and streamlined navigation that allows visitors to easily explore, plan and search for their exact needs
and interests. The new site provides tools to help visitors at every stage of their planning process, from dreaming to
arriving.
The San Francisco Travel Association is a private, not-for-profit organization that markets the city as a leisure, convention
and business travel destination. With more than 1,500 partner businesses, San Francisco Travel is one of the largest
membership-based tourism promotion agencies in the country.
The San Francisco Travel business offices are located at One Front St., Suite 2900, San Francisco, CA 94111.
SAN FRANCISCO TRAVEL ANNOUNCES RECORD BREAKING ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR 2014
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San Francisco Travel also operates the Visitor Information Center at Hallidie Plaza, 900 Market Street at the corner of
Powell and Market streets. For more information, call 415-974-6900 or visit www.sanfrancisco.travel.
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) offers non-stop flights to more than 34 international cities on 29 international
carriers. The Bay Area's largest airport connects non-stop with 78 cities in the U.S. on 15 domestic airlines. SFO offers
upgraded free Wi-Fi with no advertising. For up-to-the-minute departure and arrival information, airport maps and details
on shopping, dining, cultural exhibitions, ground transportation and more, visit www.flysfo.com. Follow SFO on
www.twitter.com/flysfo and www.facebook.com/flysfo.
American Express® is the official Card partner of the San Francisco Travel Association.
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