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May 12, 2006 - The San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau (SFCVB)
announced at a press conference with Mayor Gavin Newsom today that the
number of visitors to San Francisco in 2005 was 15.74 million, up 4.1 percent
from 2004. Visitors spent $7.37 billion dollars, an increase of 9.5
percent over the previous year.
These numbers are good news for the local economy, not just the tourism
industry. The San Francisco visitor industry generates $418 million in
taxes, supports 66,315 jobs and has an annual payroll of $1.80 billion
based on research conducted by the SFCVB Education and Research Foundation
and Economics Research Associates (ERA). Tax revenue generated by tourism
helps support city services such as police, fire, parks and recreation,
schools, arts and cultural organizations, and other city programs.
The timing of the announcement coincides with National Tourism Week, May 13-21, when destinations throughout the U.S. focus on the impact of travel and tourism in their area. The $645 billion travel and tourism industry is a primary growth opportunity for the U.S. economy, according to the latest data from the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA). "Tourism is vital to the San Francisco economy," said Mayor Gavin Newsom. "As the City's largest industry, it creates jobs and raises revenue for programs that benefit all of the City's residents. At the same time, tourism allows us to share the natural beauty and cultural diversity of San Francisco with the rest of the world." At the press event the SFCVB also rolled out its expanded Web site and new domain name, www.OnlyInSanFrancisco.com, just in time for the Memorial Day weekend, the traditional start to the American tourist season. "OnlyInSanFrancisco.com is the best way to book more of San Francisco," said Diane DeRose, vice president of marketing for the SFCVB. "As the City's official tourism marketing agency, we make it easy for travelers to 'find it, plan it and book it' on this site." Among the visitor-friendly features on the re-vamped site are:
When the campaign premiered, DeRose noted, "Our inspiration was San Francisco itself, a place unique literally from the ground up - its geography, landmarks, originality, traditions, cultures, tolerance and diverse inhabitants." Founded in November, 1909 as the San Francisco Convention and Tourist League, the SFCVB is a private, not-for-profit organization that markets the City as a leisure, convention and business travel destination. The SFCVB's mission is to strengthen the San Francisco economy by marketing the City as a destination for meetings, conventions, tradeshows and leisure visitors through sales, advertising and promotion, and to provide the visitor and convention attendee, services that enhance the Bureau's effort and the visibility of its members. With nearly 1,700 member businesses, the SFCVB is the largest membership-based tourism promotion agency in the country. The Bureau is located at 201 Third St., Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103. |
Contact:
Laurie Armstrong
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