Mayor Lurie Announces San Francisco on Track to Break Tourism Record Again in 2027

SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Daniel Lurie today celebrated new data showing San Francisco is set to surpass the city’s pre-pandemic record for visitor spending this year and then break that record again in 2027. The projections, from the San Francisco Travel Association’s (SF Travel) updated 2026 and 2027 Visitor and Lodging Forecast, reflect the city’s work to successfully host major events like the Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup and then build on that success by bringing Vogue World and the WNBA All-Star Game in 2027 with the MLB All-Star Game following in 2028. Large events and conventions, like the upcoming Pokémon World Championships and Dreamforce Conference, are major drivers of tourism growth, with city hotels on pace for 70.7% occupancy, up 5.2% from last year.

The progress bringing visitors back to San Francisco continues Mayor Lurie’s work to accelerate San Francisco’s economic recovery, including by strengthening tourism and attracting major events. In May, San Francisco International Airport (SFO) set a record for Memorial Day travel, following Mayor Lurie’s visit to China and South Korea in April to promote San Francisco’s sister city relationships with Shanghai and Seoul. The Bay Area successfully hosted six FIFA World Cup matches this summer, the Super Bowl in February, and NBA All-Star Weekend last year—which together were projected to generate $1.4 billion in regional economic impact.

“When visitors stay in our hotels, eat at our restaurants, shop in our stores, and experience our neighborhoods, they support tens of thousands of jobs and small businesses across our city. And the revenue they generate helps fund the services San Franciscans rely on every day,” said Mayor Lurie. “We have made our streets safer and cleaner. We have made it easier to open and grow a business. We have invested in our downtown and our neighborhoods. We are bringing major events to our city like the Super Bowl and Vogue World. And now, San Francisco is on track to set a tourism spending record of nearly $10 billion, which matters for every sector of our economy. Millions of people are seeing what everyone living here already knows: There is no place like San Francisco."

SF Travel projects that San Francisco will welcome 25 million visitors in 2027, up from a projected 24.4 million in 2026 and an actual 23.7 million in 2025. Visitor spending is also expected to reach a new high of $10.6 billion in 2027, surpassing the city’s pre-pandemic record of $9.6 billion in 2019 and the $9.9 billion projected for 2026.

All of San Francisco's top 10 international visitor markets are projected to grow in both visitor volume and spend in 2027. According to data from Tourism Economics, overnight international visitors to San Francisco and San Mateo counties are expected to total 2.42 million, up 5.2% from 2026, with spending forecasted to rise 7.3% to $5.46 billion.

“This year's numbers reflect something we've been working toward for a while—a tourism economy that's healthy across the board, not just during marquee events. Our convention calendar continues to perform, and we're encouraged by the growth in business and domestic leisure travel right alongside it,” said Anna Marie Presutti, SF Travel President and CEO. “June was San Francisco's best occupancy month since the pandemic, and that's exactly the kind of momentum we want to build on. There’s still work to be done, and we're keeping our foot on the gas to make sure this growth carries into 2027.”

2027 forecast highlights include:

• Visitor volume: 25 million
• Visitor spending: $10.6 billion
• Hotel occupancy: 72.1%
• Average daily rate: $271.43
• Revenue per available room: $195.61

2026 forecast highlights include:

• Visitor volume: 24.4 million
• Visitor spending: $9.94 billion
• Hotel occupancy: 70.7%
• Average daily rate: $266.16
• Revenue per available room: $188.06, up 14.1% year-over-year