San Francisco Travel Forecasts Lodging Growth in 2025–26
Conventions, global events, and major festivals fuel momentum for San Francisco’s visitor economy
August 27, 2025 (San Francisco) – The San Francisco Travel Association, the official destination marketing organization for the City and County of San Francisco, today released its updated 2025 and 2026 Visitor and Lodging Forecast at the annual Visitor Impact Summit, hosted in partnership with the Hotel Council of San Francisco at the Grand Hyatt San Francisco.
2025 Forecast Highlights
- Hotel occupancy: 65.2%
- Average Daily Rate (ADR): $232.63
- Revenue per available room (RevPAR): $151.77 (up 6% from 2024)
- 34 events at Moscone Center, generating nearly 657,000 room nights (+64% vs. 2024)
- Visitor volume: 23.49 million
- Visitor spending: $9.35 billion
San Francisco’s strong convention calendar and lineup of major events are driving hotel performance in 2025. The Moscone Center will host 34 events, producing nearly 657,000 hotel room nights, a 64% increase over 2024.
Large-scale events have added to this momentum, including the NBA All-Star Experience, Dead & Company’s weekend concert series in Golden Gate Park, Outside Lands music festival, and the Laver Cup.
Visitation Trends
Overall tourism volume and spending are expected to rise modestly in 2025, with visitor volume projected to reach 23.49 million and spending forecasted at $9.35 billion.
International visitation remains challenged by geopolitical and economic factors. Overnight international visitors are expected to total 2.26 million, down 3.2% from 2024, with spending forecasted to decline 2.7% to $4.89 billion.
Domestic travel continues to grow, offsetting some international softness. Domestic overnight visitors are forecasted to increase 2.5% to 5.89 million, with spending projected to reach $2.91 billion (up 5.9%).
“Meetings and events have fueled San Francisco’s tourism industry this year, and that momentum is carrying into 2026,” said Anna Marie Presutti, President and CEO of San Francisco Travel. “From music festivals and global sports to conventions at Moscone Center, San Francisco is in demand. We’re seeing steady growth that benefits hotels, restaurants, attractions, and neighborhoods across the city.”
“San Francisco is seeing real momentum, and we're going to keep going. Just this month, we hosted three safe, successful, back-to-back weekends of concerts that brought hundreds of thousands of people to our city from across the country and world,” said Mayor Daniel Lurie. “People want to be in San Francisco—and we will keep working at City Hall to create the conditions for people to choose San Francisco as the best place to visit, do business, and come together.”
2026 Forecast Highlights
- Visitor volume: 24.02 million
- Visitor spending: $9.83 billion
- Hotel occupancy: 66.3%
- ADR: $241.16 (up 3.7% YOY)
- RevPAR: $159.88 (up 5.3% YOY)
- Moscone Center events: 30, generating more than 618,000 room nights
2026 Outlook
San Francisco Travel projects continued growth in 2026, driven by another strong convention calendar and global events including Super Bowl LX and the FIFA World Cup. These high-profile events are expected to drive visitation and reinforce San Francisco’s position as one of the world’s premier destinations for both leisure and business travel.
“We are working together to put San Francisco first and the visitor economy is leading the way,” said Alex Bastian, President and CEO of the Hotel Council of San Francisco. “We’re making real progress as a city, and with the Super Bowl and World Cup ahead, we have tremendous opportunities to shine brightly on the world stage.”
About the Visitor Impact Summit
Presented by Expedia, the Visitor Impact Summit was made possible with support from sponsors Grand Hyatt San Francisco, Encore AV, and Steven Gregory Photography.
San Francisco Travel Association
San Francisco Travel is the official destination marketing organization for the City and County of San Francisco. The city is one of the top destinations for tourism and meetings in the U.S., attracting over 23 million visitors annually. In 2024, total visitor-related spending contributed $9.26 billion into the San Francisco economy and supported nearly 62,000 jobs.
For information on reservations, activities and more in San Francisco, visit www.sftravel.com.
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The Hotel Council Of San Francisco
The Hotel Council of San Francisco is a non-profit membership-based organization advocating for the economic and social vitality of the hospitality industry in San Francisco. Their membership roster includes over 200 hotels, allied members, and partner organizations. The Hotel Council is dedicated to protecting the San Francisco hospitality industry and connecting its members to support the growth and success of the industry.
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