San Diego Industry Research
Tourism Industry Facts - 2024
- The visitor industry employs 1 in 8 San Diegans.
- Visitors spent an estimated $14.8 billion in 2024.
- San Diego hosted an estimated 32.5 million visitors in 2024 and is a top U.S. travel destination.
- The industry generates more than $1.0 billion annually in state and local transient occupancy, sales, and property taxes, benefiting county households by about $1,000 per year on average.
For more facts about the San Diego tourism industry, click here.
Visitor Profile
The San Diego Visitor Profile Study is conducted every other year to track the characteristics of the market and the traveler. Of the 32.5 million visitors to San Diego County in 2024, more than half (18.0 million) stayed overnight in a hotel, a private home, or other accommodations. It is possible to purchase further details from the study to support your marketing efforts given that the study sample is large enough for your needs and the questions are relevant. The next profile will be fielded in 2026, and results will be available in mid-2027.
State and U.S. Research Resources
Additional data and reports are available to members. Click here for membership options. For requests or questions regarding any of the data above, please contact JaNelle Corley at [email protected].
Tourism Matters San Diego
The tourism industry benefits San Diego in so many ways — thousands of jobs, billions of dollars in economic activity for businesses and millions of dollars in hotel taxes that allow the city to keep San Diego communities safe, clean and a great place to live as well as visit. That’s why the San Diego Tourism Marketing District’s work in funding tourism promotion is so important. Watch now and find out more about the SDTMD and why Travel Matters to San Diego.