The San Francisco Travel Association reported that San Francisco welcomed 16.9 million visitors in 2013, an increase of 2.3 percent from 2012. These visitors spent $9.38 billion in 2013, up 5.1 percent from the previous year.  The data was presented during the ninth annual Visitor Industry Outlook & Marketing Conference at the Marines Memorial Club and Hotel.

“San Francisco’s visitor industry once again had record growth in 2013,” said Joe D’Alessandro, San Francisco Travel president and CEO.  “Visitor spending reached the highest level ever last year.”

“The record-breaking amount of visitor spending and increased number of jobs that support the tourism industry are clear indications that San Francisco remains an international destination city,” said San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee. “We need to continue building our city’s future with our world-renowned innovative spirit, and support projects like the Moscone Center Expansion Project and the Warriors Pavilion that are essential to the future of San Francisco’s most important industry, tourism.”

The tourism industry generated $607 million in taxes for the City of San Francisco, up 8.1 percent from the previous year.  The number of jobs supported by tourism rose 3.8 percent to 76,834 jobs in 2013, with an annual payroll of $2.31 billion, an increase of 5.7 percent.

In 2013, there was an average of 134,231 visitors in San Francisco each day.  Visitor spending equated to $25.7 million daily (including spending related to meetings and conventions).

Since last year at this time, San Francisco Travel has booked 41 conventions at Moscone Center.  These events will fill 945,000 hotel rooms between 2014 and 2028.   Their attendees and exhibitors will spend $814 million

Since beginning a partnership with Booking.com, San Francisco Travel’s online hotel reservations have increased 99% year over year for October through March.

To keep San Francisco’s message in front of the leisure travelers, San Francisco Travel has completed a new campaign for spring titled “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 new theme emphasizes the fact that every visit will hold something new while still providing the activities that people love.  The campaign is supported by the following partners:  The Asia Art Museum, the deYoung Museum, PIER 39, Big Bus Tours, Amtrak and American Express.

Dine About Town, the annual restaurant promotion developed by San Francisco Travel Association, is celebrating its 13th year in 2014.  The program generates an estimated $3 million in additional revenue to the city’s restaurants.  The second half of the 2014 program is held in June 1-15 with more than 100 restaurants participating.

San Francisco Travel is also embarking on several new marketing initiatives, including:

•             A completely redesigned website in the works, due to debut in September.

•             New research into San Francisco’s domestic and international visitors currently in progress.

•             New direct marketing capabilities led by a to-be-named executive with database marketing expertise.