Despite Surge in Tourists, Spending Still Down
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) _ Tourists are returning to San Francisco, but not spending like they used to.
President and CEO of the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau Joe D'Alessandro said the city is still a huge draw for tourists and numbers are slowly increasing.
"But spending in hotels, spending in retail, spending in restaurants are all down because of the economic worries," he said.
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D'Alessandro said price-conscious consumers are driving hotel rates down.
"Hotel rates are down probably 20 percent from where they were in 2008," he said. "And therefore, our room tax collection is down in San Francisco. Even though the number of bodies may be up, the spending is down because people have economic concerns."
He said leisure travel also drops off after Labor Day, but convention visits spike, as the fall is the busiest time in San Francisco for major conventions.
International tourists compromise between 35-40 percent of total visitors to the city.
