U.S. Travel Association, SF Travel, and City Tourism Industry Host Largest International Tourism Conference

05/24/11— Mayor Edwin M. Lee today welcomed 5,500 International Pow Wow delegates to San Francisco. Produced by the U.S. Travel Association and hosted by the San Francisco Travel Association and the City’s tourism industry, International Pow Wow is the travel industry’s largest international gathering with more than 2,000 domestic and international travel organizations representing 70 countries. During the three day event, attendees conduct business that will result in more than $3.5 billion in future United States travel.

“The selection of San Francisco as the host city for International Pow Wow demonstrates that San Francisco is a world class travel destination,” said Mayor Ed Lee. “The tourism and hospitality industries continue to strengthen our economy, and we look forward to hosting the many visitors who will come to our City because of Pow Wow.”

International Pow Wow was last held in San Francisco in 1992, and has been held in a different U.S. city each year since 1969. The U.S. Travel Association estimates that hosting International Pow Wow brings $4.5 million to the host city in event-related spending and $2 million in attendee spending. Known worldwide in the travel industry as the major marketplace for transacting inbound U.S. travel business, International Pow Wow is expected to generate more than $350 million in tourism business for San Francisco in the short term.

More than 450 international and domestic journalists will join the 2,100 international and domestic tour operators from 70 countries who will “shop” the largest travel industry trade show in North America inside Moscone Center. At International Pow Wow, buyers and sellers conduct business that would otherwise be generated only through an exhaustive number of around-the-world trips.

San Francisco Travel (formerly the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau) will provide tours for attendees showcasing 16 San Francisco neighborhoods, introducing them to the unique facets of the city and encouraging their customers – future visitors – to explore the City’s many diverse neighborhoods in addition to iconic favorite tourist destinations.

“The support of people from City Hall to the city streets has been wonderful,” said San Francisco Travel President & CEO Joe D’Alessandro. “It truly takes a village – or in our case, a city – to host an event of this magnitude. In the end, we will all benefit. This is where new tour products are developed which stimulate new business and longer stays.”

According to San Francisco Travel, in 2010,
· San Francisco received 15.9 million visitors.
· On an average day, there are 126,931 visitors in San Francisco (annually, visitors outnumber residents 20 to 1).
· About 30% (4.7 million) of San Francisco’s visitors come from outside the United States.
· International visitors tend to stay longer and spend more than domestic visitors.
· Visitor spending in San Francisco was $8.3 billion in 2010.
· On an average day, visitors spend $22.84 million in the city.
· Tourism generated $485 million in taxes for the City of San Francisco last year.
· Tourism supports 67,122 jobs in the City, or one job for every 12 residents.
· The total payroll of San Francisco’s tourism industry is $1.88 billion.

For more information about International Pow Wow, go to: www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com/powwow2011