Local leaders in travel, hospitality, business and government celebrate San Diego’s tourism success at SDTA’s 68th Annual Meeting.
San Diego, Calif.— In spite of the challenges related to both the pandemic and economic uncertainty, the San Diego Tourism Authority (SDTA) announced today San Diego ranked as one of the nation's top-performing destinations in 2022. Citing the city's popular cultural attractions, outdoor recreation activities and diverse selection of hotels and restaurants, SDTA shared economic impact figures from 2022 and other notable travel industry news at the organization's 68th Annual Meeting, held today in the San Diego Convention Center.
Speaking to more than 500 business, political, and travel and hospitality industry leaders, Julie Coker, President and CEO of the SDTA, revealed the latest results showing San Diego having the second-highest hotel occupancy in the country through September at 74.4%, and consistently ranking in the top five of destinations for average hotel daily rates and revenue per available room.
"We are thrilled to see that San Diego tourism is back on track in a significant way," said Coker. "While the post-pandemic era has presented its share of obstacles, it never stopped us from marketing and promoting San Diego. And through the support of the San Diego Tourism Marketing District, the San Diego Convention Center Corporation, our members and Board of Directors, SDTA kept its foot on the pedal, running sales and marketing programs that created a demand for the destination and increased visitor spending."
Behind a robust investment of more than $23 million in national consumer and business meetings advertising and marketing, and a refresh of its award-winning “Happy and You Know It” brand campaign, SDTA recorded a steady growth in visitors, with 13.3 million travelers and a projected forecast of $6.2 billion in visitor spending, exceeding the city’s performance in 2019.
The benefits of San Diego's booming tourism industry in 2022 were widespread, including:
SDTA's marketing and sales efforts also led to notable recognition by the discerning readers of Conde Nast Traveler, voting San Diego as the nation's third-favorite big city in the annual Conde Nast Readers’ Choice Awards.
"Our marketing and sales strategy led to incredible results in 2022, but we know there is still more work to do," said Coker. "We must continue to tell the story of San Diego with the same level of creativity, passion and urgency that helped us get to this stage in our recovery."
Looking ahead to 2023, Coker noted that SDTA will continue its consumer brand campaign of Happy and You Know It, highlighting San Diego's majestic scenery and popular attractions and experiences. Additionally, as international borders reopen for outbound travel, SDTA is renewing its focus and presence in key overseas markets, including Canada, Mexico, Australia and the United Kingdom.
The business meetings and conventions space will launch a new marketing initiative – Meet America's Brightest City. The campaign reintroduces meeting professionals, event strategists and business executives to the beauty and brains of San Diego, highlighting the city as a catalyst for creativity and innovation.
"We're optimistic of continued growth," said Coker. "As the travel industry emerges from the pandemic, now more than ever, it is imperative that we remain focus on our mission to drive economic vitality by marketing San Diego as a premier global destination for leisure and business travel."
Aside from ensuring San Diego stays top of mind with travelers, SDTA will maintain its attention on the needs of its members and the community. To support job growth in the field of travel and hospitality, SDTA shared details of its involvement with the San Diego Workforce Partnership on a tourism jobs study that will educate policymakers on the value of tourism. And following the successful debut of its DEI program, the Tourism Accelerator − which provides financial and in-kind support to 10 businesses owned by people of color, women and veterans, and those in the LGBTQ+ community − Coker announced SDTA is accepting applications for 2023.
"I am so proud of what our team has accomplished this past year," said Coker. "We've shown what makes San Diego so special, and we will carry this momentum into 2023 to ensure our city continues to thrive."
The 68th Annual Meeting opened with a special show by SkyFire Arts, a storytelling dance spectacle with performers in high-voltage protective suits throwing lightning bolts. In addition to the opening entertainment and SDTA's reveal of its 2022 results, a lively panel discussion was held on what’s ahead in the travel, aviation and business meetings industry. Event attendees had the pleasure of hearing from Kim Becker, President and CEO of the San Diego Regional Airport Authority and SDTA's Chair of the Board; Erin Francis-Cummings, President and CEO of Destination Analysts; Ken Madden, SVP of Digital Engagement at George P. Johnson; and Erik J. Hansen, VP of Government Relations at the U.S. Travel Association.
About the San Diego Tourism Authority
The San Diego Tourism Authority's mission is to drive visitor demand to economically benefit the San Diego region. The SDTA is a private, non-profit, mutual benefit corporation comprising over 900 member organizations, businesses, local governments, and individuals seeking a better community through the visitor industry. Tourism is the second largest segment of San Diego's economy and employs over 200,000 people across more than 9,400 businesses.
