San Diego Connect

Positive progress to expand the San Diego Convention Center continues.  On Nov. 27, the City Council voted to authorize $54.4 million in interim bond financing.  The money is part of the overall $520 million project cost and will pay for construction drawings, utility relocation and site acquisition.  The bonds will issue after the California Coastal Commission approves the project and legal issues... Read more

On Nov. 26, the San Diego City Council voted to extend a hotel room measure that will raise millions of dollars to promote San Diego as a tourist destination.  A two percent assessment, which was set to expire on Dec. 31, 2012, will now run for the next 40 years and apply to all hotels of 30 rooms or more... Read more

Comic-Con International is working on final details to keep their convention in San Diego through 2016, extending their current contract for an additional year. The mega-convention celebrates  pop-culture and brings upward of 130,000 comic book fans, movie enthusiasts and collectors from around the world to San Diego every summer.  It is San Diego’s largest convention and is both an enormous... Read more

Following the release of the progress report by the Departments of State and Homeland Security on the recent advances made to help encourage international travel to the U.S., Brand USA released its own preliminary results announcing the findings of its national tourism marketing campaign.  Based on Brand USA’s findings, as well as data released in August by the Department of... Read more

Earlier this year, President Obama issued an Executive Order on travel and tourism directing federal agencies to expand the nation’s ability to attract and welcome international visitors, while maintaining the highest standards of security. Today the White House issued a progress report from the U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security outlining the steps taken to meet the President’s objectives... Read more

The U.S. Department of Commerce recently revealed data which indicated that international visitors to the U.S. have spent an estimated $82.2 billion over last year on travel and tourism-related services, an 11 percent increase year-over-year.  The new set of data confirms that the travel and tourism industry in the U.S. is on track to yet another record-breaking year.  San Diego... Read more

The federal government is no longer considering changing the federal per diem rate, a move that could have resulted in a thirty-percent reduction of rates in some major travel markets around the country.  Thanks to the proactive and collaborative efforts of travel and tourism industry leaders, a decision was made to freeze the rates for the coming year.  The decision... Read more

Please join us in welcoming Rick Outcalt to the newly created position of Senior Vice President of Citywide Sales at ConVis.  Rick most recently served as Director of Sales & Marketing for the San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina and will now direct the Bureau’s citywide sales effort.  He collectively brings 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including... Read more

The travel industry continues to make strides in educating key stakeholders on the economic benefits of travel and tourism. This past Wednesday, the Administration once again put its spotlight on our industry’s ability to create more good jobs at a meeting hosted by the White House Business Council. The gathering, the first in a series focused on American economic competitiveness,... Read more