Solely 10 Million Visited San Francisco in 2020
The San Francisco Travel Association released 2020 tourism figures at the first San Francisco Travel Virtual Marketing Conference.
San Francisco Travel reports a total of 10.2 million visitors to the city in 2020, down 61.0 percent from a record high of 26.2 million in 2019.
Total visitor spend was $ 2.3 billion, down 77.7 percent from a record high of $ 10.3 billion in 2019, including spending on conventions and conventions.
“After ten consecutive years of record results for the San Francisco tourism industry, 2020 was a devastating year,” he said Joe D’Alessandro, President and CEO of San Francisco Travel.
“The results for 2020 are disappointing,” he continued. “At the end of the tunnel, however, there is light. Our market research shows that there is a lot of catching up to do in travel around the world. We assume that demand in the domestic market will pick up first, followed by individual overseas markets. Countries like the UK, which are swiftly selling vaccinations and offering prospects for the lifting of travel restrictions, are already seeing significant increases in vacation bookings. 2021 will be another challenging year for our industry. We hope that we can steadily improve during a multi-year recovery until we get back to 2019 levels. “
San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) served a total of 16.4 million passengers, down 71.4 percent from 57.5 million in 2019. International traffic fell by 78.7 percent from 2019 to 2020.
Hotel occupancy
“The overnight stays of delegates attending the Moscone Center conventions totaled 121,000, an 87.5 percent decrease from the previous year,” said D’Alessandro. “Bringing the convention business back to town is one of our top priorities for the coming year.”
Average hotel occupancy using pre-COVID room supply was 27.2 percent, down 67.2 percent from 2019, while the average daily rate was $ 206.11, down 24.5 percent.
International visitor volume
International visitors accounted for 20.2 percent of overnight stays, compared with 28.3 percent the previous year and 52.3 percent of all overnight spending in 2020. San Francisco welcomed 570,000 international visitors in 2020, an 80.7 percent decrease from 2, 9 million in 2019.
The top five markets for 2020 visitor volume were Mexico, Canada, the UK, China and India.
International visitor editions
International visitors spent $ 829 million, down 83.8 percent from $ 5.1 billion in 2019.
The top five markets for visitor spend in 2020 were Mexico, China, India, the UK, and Canada.
Far-reaching economic impact
Daily visitor spend was $ 5.8 million, down 77.9 percent from $ 26.2 million in 2019. The average attendee spent $ 207.91 per day, a decrease of 43.0 percent from $ 364.94 in 2019. Convention attendees spent an average of $ 182.26 per day, a decrease of 68.8 percent compared to $ 584.32 in 2019.
The number of tourism-supported jobs in San Francisco decreased from 86,111 in 2019 to 20,880, a decrease of 75.8 percent.
There were an average of 27,911 daily visitors to San Francisco, down 61.1 percent from 71,805 in 2019.
The tourism industry generated taxes and fees of $ 273.4 million for the city of San Francisco in 2020, a decrease of 66.6 percent from $ 819.7 million in 2019. The most important factors include hotel tax (43.6 percent) and property tax (33.1 percent).
Per capita, visitors spent $ 2,359.00 per inhabitant of San Francisco, compared to $ 10,820 in 2019. In 2020, visitors earned tax of $ 732.00 per household in San Francisco, compared to $ 2,198 a year earlier .
“As a result of the pandemic, San Francisco visitor spending decreased by 80% and the city’s tourism revenue by 67% in 2020, devastating our local economy,” he said San Francisco Mayor London Breed.
“Tourism has been an economic powerhouse in our city for years and provides an important source of tax revenue for our community. With these dollars, we can secure jobs and fund vital local services – teachers, firefighters, support for vulnerable populations, health and safety, and more. Now that our Covid numbers are improving and we are rapidly vaccinating thousands of people every day, we must continue our efforts to reopen stores, get residents back to work and welcome visitors. This is crucial for our economic recovery and the future of our city. “
outlook into the future
San Francisco Travel expects the situation to gradually improve in the future. Total visits to the city are projected to reach 15.3 million in 2021. Total visitor spend is projected to increase from $ 2.1 billion in 2020 to $ 3.5 billion in 2021. Total visits are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels by 2023, back to pre-2025 2019 levels due to a slower recovery in international visitors and an average rate in the city.
The San Francisco Travel Association is the official destination marketing organization for the city and county of San Francisco.
San Francisco is one of the metropolitan areas in the US that has consistently kept Covid-19 largely under control. The COVID-19 Prevention and Advanced Cleaning Policies Make sure our hotel operations adhere to the most sophisticated cleaning and safety protocols. San Francisco Travel invites all visitors planning to come in 2021 to do their part to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience by keeping our promise to travel safely.
