Tourism is San Francisco's number one industry. The San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau finally has begun to realize the important role that LGBTs play in tourism. As we report this week, openly gay Joe D'Alessandro will take the helm of the convention and visitors bureau next month as its new CEO, and he seems to have the commitment to work with LGBT business groups, along with the rest of the business and tourism community, to promote the city. Lindsey Jones, executive director of San Francisco Pride, now serves on the CVB's board, which is a good fit. Jones oversees the city's largest parade and festival, an event that brings an estimated 1 million visitors to the city each June. As next weekend's Pride festivities quickly approach, many of those visitors are beginning to arrive. In fact, Jones accepted the CVB's Silver Cable Car Award last week on behalf of Pride – in recognition for generating more than $100 million annually.
And many LGBTs who live here are working hard to make sure their stay is enjoyable. In addition to attracting LGBT visitors to our neighborhoods, many in the community are employed in the service industry. According to figures from the CVB, last year there were 15.7 million tourists in the city – that amounts to 124,600 per day. Those visitors spent $7.3 billion last year, in places like hotels, restaurants, bars, and shops. An estimated 66,315 jobs in the city are tied directly to tourism, which accounts for $1.8 billion in payroll (excluding tips). In fact, the CVB noted that "if the visitor industry disappeared, each city resident would need to spend an extra $9,224 per year to replace the lost revenue ($418 million in city taxes and fees) and keep city services at their current levels."
So not only do LGBT tourists contribute to our economy by visiting San Francisco, LGBT workers in the industry also benefit. You name it – clubs, stores, hotels, restaurants – and gays and lesbians are working at those establishments.
The Golden Gate Business Association, an LGBT chamber of commerce, is working with the CVB to create a major tourism promotion for the gay and lesbian market – and has put money toward the project. But the CVB needs increased funding – D'Alessandro said the bureau is limited in what it can do to promote tourism, not only to the LGBT community, but other groups as well.
And that's where the city can help. Outgoing CVB board chair Rick Swig, in his remarks during last week's luncheon, called on members of the Board of Supervisors and the mayor to do more. He pointed out that supervisors in parts of the city – notably the Haight, South of Market, and the Mission – represent large numbers of residents who work in the service industry.
Now is the time for the Board of Supervisors and the mayor to step up to the plate with additional resources to market San Francisco. It's a two-way street. The board and the business community have an often-tense relationship (this week board President Aaron Peskin announced a plan to seek voter approval for a new tax on the city's largest companies, without giving business leaders a heads up), but both sides need to realize the importance of joining together to keep San Francisco one of the leading destinations for travelers.