Tourism matters

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I'm very happy to be joining the ranks of SFGate's City Brights bloggers. Since I work in San Francisco's tourism industry, I intend to use this opportunity to talk about what tourism really means to San Francisco, as well as maybe share some of the lesser known things to do and places to explore in the incredible place that we live.

You may have heard that tourism is San Francisco's leading industry, generating over $8 billion in spending annually and employing over 75,000 fellow San Franciscans. These are members of our families, our neighbors and our friends. A recent census study showed that people who earn their income from tourism dollars live in every neighborhood in the city. Maybe next door to you. What's more, visitors to San Francisco last year generated over $500 million in local tax dollars. Those dollars go to pay for schools, parks, street maintenance, social service programs, police and fire. If tourists didn't pay those taxes for us, every single resident of San Francisco would have to come up with an additional $625 per year to pay for these essential services.

Maybe one of the best things that tourism can do for a community is to enhance the very quality of life that we get to enjoy as residents. If it weren't for tourists supporting the many events, restaurants, art galleries, clothing stores, clubs, theaters and museums that we enjoy as residents, they simply couldn't afford to exist. What would life in San Francisco be like with out all those local businesses and entertainment venues that we get to enjoy 365 days a year?

Yep, tourism is a good thing for San Francisco.

In future columns, I'll be writing about some of the issues and ideas that affect the tourism industry, both here in San Francisco and throughout the state, the nation and the world. Pay attention because, if you live here, tourism matters to you.

Maybe you can share with me some of your favorite "Only in San Francisco" businesses or experiences that makes living in this special place in the world so enriching.

Posted By: Joe D'Alessandro (Email) | October 05 2009 at 10:39 AM

Listed Under: Tourism Matters