Tourism left more than US$22 billion in revenue in San Diego during 2022

SAN DIEGO, CA – Tourism in San Diego brought nearly US$22.7 billion in business to the city during 2022, with primarily establishments such as restaurants, hotels, local sports and arts attractions being some of the biggest beneficiaries, according to a report released by the San Diego Tourism Authority.

According to the report, during 2022 there were 28.8 million visitors to San Diego, of which 16.5 million were overnight visitors and 12.3 million were day visitors.

The Tourism Authority noted that visitors to San Diego spent US$13.6 billion during their stays. Nearly 80% of those dollars were spent at businesses other than lodging, up from 70% in 2019.

“Our local tourist attractions, restaurants, sports and arts provide more than just vibrant entertainment and lifelong memories. San Diego’s US$22 billion tourism industry is a driver of the regional economy, creator of good jobs and direct contributor to investments that benefit the daily lives of San Diegans,” said Julie Coker, president and CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority.

In terms of hospitality industry employment, visitor activity supported 214,000 jobs for San Diegans, primarily in the hospitality industry, including lodging, food service, attractions and transportation.

San Diego County sold 17.02 million hotel room nights, with an average occupancy of 72.6% and an average daily rate of US$204.89, the report detailed. San Diego has approximately 562 hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts and casinos, with 64,021 rooms available for visitors.

In addition, throughout San Diego County there are 15,280 homes available for guests on Airbnb and VRBO, of which 6,500 are units comparable to hotels (studios and one-bedroom rooms), according to AirDNA.

For its part, the San Diego Convention Center held 51 major conventions and trade shows that hosted 437,171 attendees. These events accounted for approximately US$665.9 million in direct spending by convention delegates.

The report also indicates that an estimated 10.8 million air passengers arrived at Lindbergh Field, which is served by a total of 16 passenger airlines. The Cross Border Xpress served 2.2 million northbound passengers crossing the bridge from the Tijuana airport to San Diego. Southbound and westbound vehicle traffic exceeded 60 million. These figures include both San Diego residents and visitors.

Also, in San Diego County, more than US$360 million in Transient Occupancy Tax revenue was collected for fiscal year 2022 (July 2021 – June 2022). Additional sales and property taxes from visitor industry businesses totaled more than US$1 billion for calendar year 2022.