SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego's tourism industry is rebounding, with the San Diego Tourism Authority reporting an increase in visitors after a flat stretch.
The authority projects nearly 34 million people will visit San Diego this year — roughly a million more than the 32.4 million who came last year. While that figure remains below pre-pandemic levels, officials say the region is making progress.
"So it's been a great year so far in terms of seeing recovery. That's the whole goal here is to make sure we keep attracting more people," San Diego Tourism Authority Chief Operating Officer Kerri Kapich said.
Kapich pointed to a difficult prior stretch as part of the context for the recovery.
"So last year we did have a flat year. We attribute some of that to the economy and what was going on. Also too, we were in a process of still coming out of the pandemic," Kapich said.
The rebound is about more than foot traffic. The authority expects visitors to spend about $16 billion across San Diego, underscoring how central tourism is to the local economy.
"San Diego is reliant on tourism and a strong tourism economy. 1 in 8 people are employed in the tourism sector, and it's a vital resource in terms of tax revenues," Kapich said.
Kapich said part of the boost comes from major events, including summer draws like NASCAR and Comic-Con. But the authority is also working to give people more reasons to visit throughout the year.
"We have programs through the course of the year that are special offers like in October we do kids free. So a great program that makes it very affordable for families to experience San Diego," Kapich said.
This year, the authority also rolled out a new campaign called Eternal Optimist to attract more people to San Diego.
"When the tourism economy does well, when you've got people coming in and spending money at small businesses throughout the San Diego region, that benefits everyone," Kapich said.
The authority is already looking ahead. With TED Talk coming to San Diego and new programs launching, officials expect another boost in foot traffic next year.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
