Tourism is on the rebound in San Francisco and could possibly see pre-pandemic levels of foot traffic after a historically flat travel season.
Data shows that tourism in the city hit a road bump in 2020 after a historic travel year in 2019. The tourism industry has tried to recoup pre-pandemic numbers since then, but not with nearly as much luck.
Anna Marie Presutti, the newest CEO and president of SF Travel, now tasked with bringing those numbers back up, told CBS News Bay Area, that the city struggled to maintain tourism after 2023.
“2024 was a tough year, and that’s by and large as a result of our tourism or our convention calendar,” Presutti said. “And our international numbers are a bit down.”
International travel is down specifically with Chinese visitors, but other groups are still making their way to the Fisherman’s Wharf.
Tim and Donna Smith represent the groups of international visitors that are still frequenting the city. The two of them hail from the Midlands of England and looked forward to seeing the city in person despite its reputation.
“It’s been a long, long, long, long, lasting wish to come and have a look around and see what it’s about,” Tim said.
The couple visited the Golden Gate Bridge, traveled to the Wharf and even spotted a sea lion within the early hours of their visit.
“We’ve spent as children, you know, we’ve been brought up on all the American TV programs and San Francisco, you know,” Donna added.
Presutti said it’s possible tourism will rebound next year if travel officials can attract more conventions, businesses and international tourists like the Smiths. This year saw fewer conventions and fewer businesses visiting this year, which contributed to the loss. But the city’s public image also played a role.
“They still see news footage from 2020, well, you know, the narrative has changed dramatically since then, but not everybody’s gotten that message,” Presutti said.
Travel officials estimate there will be more than 23 million visitors in 2025 with spending expected to reach about $10 billion. If all goes as planned, tourism might be on par with 2023 levels, which closely rivaled 2019.
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