The San Diego Tourism Authority celebrates National Travel and Tourism Week, May 4-12, 2013, by recognizing the impact of San Diego's tourism industry on the local economy and its contributions to the region's unique lifestyle and culture.

"It is important that we recognize the value of tourism in San Diego and throughout the country during National Travel and Tourism Week," said Joe Terzi, President and CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority. "Not only does local tourism have a significant economic impact on our region, but it also helps improve our neighborhoods and the quality of life for our residents. Just as important, tourism also provides a job ladder to success for thousands of San Diegans who are employed in this industry," Terzi added.

Tourism ranks as the second largest traded economy in San Diego, contributing $18.3 billion to the regional economy in 2012, a 6.6 percent increase from 2011.

With more than 32 million annual visitors spending $8 billion at local businesses throughout the region, $192 million in Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) - a hotel room tax collected from guests - was generated countywide in Fiscal Year 2012. One hundred percent of TOT taxes are kept by the City of San Diego and used for essential city services like police, fire and lifeguards, as well as maintaining city roads and civic treasures like Balboa Park which is celebrating its centennial in 2015.

San Diego's tourism industry also directly supports local residents by creating jobs. Tourism provides 160,000 jobs for San Diegans, which accounts for 13 percent of jobs in San Diego County - one of every eight local jobs. These jobs represent a broad spectrum of skills sets and educational levels, from entry level to senior management positions.

For more information on the value of San Diego's tourism industry and to view "Tourism Works for Me" video profiles of several San Diegans who work in different sectors of the local travel industry, visit www.sandiego.org/WhyTravelMatters.

National Travel and Tourism Week is an annual salute to the hardworking men and women who make up one of America's largest industries - directly generating $129 billion in tax revenue for local, state and federal governments and supporting 14.6 million jobs in the United States. For more information, visit www.ustravel.org/marketing/national-travel-and-tourism-week.

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