What an extraordinary celebration! On Nov. 13, the San Diego Tourism Authority proudly commemorated 70 years of destination leadership at our Annual Meeting.
The energy was electric as we shared our record-breaking FY24 results with over 540 tourism and hospitality leaders at the newly renovated Jacobs Music Center.
Event images by Narrative Images and mobile photo booth images by CEG Interactive are now available to download and share.
Our FY24 results, by the numbers
•32 million visitors
•$22 billion total economic impact to our region
•$14.6 billion in direct visitor spending (record high)
•73% hotel occupancy rate (4th nationwide)
•$310 million in TOT revenue supporting vital city services
For an detailed overview of our FY24 program of work, please see our highlights video:
Annual Meeting recap
The dynamic program began with a special performance by musicians from the San Diego Symphony.
In a special recognition, Mayor Todd Gloria presented SDTA with a proclamation declaring November 13 as “San Diego Tourism Authority 70th Anniversary Day.”
Our Board Chair Shawn Dixon, Vice Chair Annie Fitzgerald, and Board Member and San Diego Symphony CEO Martha Gilmer shared inspiring remarks, acknowledging our tourism community’s incredible work in 2024.
Enjoy a brief overview of the evening, created by SDTA member Steady State Films:
Chief Operating Officer Kerri Kapich and Chief Sales Officer Kavin Schieferdecker shared our strategies and bold vision for 2025-2026, highlighting initiatives to support our 950-plus members and 130 hotel partners.
The insights continued with a global travel forecast from Brand USA‘s Aaron Wodin-Schwartz, and a riveting panel featuring TikTok‘s Jennifer R., Rob Torres of Expedia Group, and Robin Tilotta of Twitch, exploring travel trends, AI, and the evolving digital landscape.
Two fond farewells
In a touching moment, we honored our beloved VP of Human Resources Althea Salas, who will retire in January after 32 years of building our extraordinary team culture.
We also raised our glasses to bid a warm San Diego farewell to our remarkable President and CEO Julie Coker, who after four years in driving our tourism industry to new heights will go lead New York City Tourism + Conventions.
We couldn’t do it without you
Thank you to our incredible sponsors, partners, and members. Your dedication and collaboration made 2024 truly exceptional. We look forward to working with you to deliver outstanding results in FY25.
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