TORONTO — The San Francisco Travel Association (SFTA) was in Toronto recently to host an exclusive travel trade event at the Rogers Centre, to help get the word out about upcoming events, updates and new experiences in the Bay Area.

As the hometown Blue Jays faced down San Fran’s Giants, Travelweek had a chance to sit down with Daniel Schwartz, SFTA’s Director for Global Tourism Development, to ask a few questions.

Travelweek: How did the Canadian market perform for San Francisco this past winter and so far in 2023?

Schwartz: “We have seen a good uptake in travel from Canadians in the past few years coming from our pre-pandemic numbers, which were about 325,000 visitors in 2019. In 2022, we were able to welcome about 226,000 annual visitors and around US$299,000,000 in revenue and are now looking into a projected growth of about 288,000 (+28%) visitors and $421,000,000 (+41%) in revenue in 2023.”
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Travelweek: How are bookings from Canada to San Francisco this summer, and also for the coming winter?

Schwartz: “Overall, we’re seeing a good year for Canadian travellers in 2023. While we don’t have the numbers for winter yet, we are very positive about welcoming more Canadians.

“There are many new flights to the area, and this is very encouraging as Canadians have direct flights all year round, making us the perfect four-season destination. Additionally, Air Canada recently launched the Maple Leaf Lounge at SFO, a great addition to the experience offered to customers travelling through the award-winning airport.”

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Travelweek: Is there any strategy in place, or in the works, to deal with traveller safety concerns?

Schwartz: “We consistently take the initiative in responding to any inquiries or worries that travellers might have. We have allocated specific online and offline support systems and have provided a range of services to cater to their needs, such as our AlertSF, a text-based notification system for San Francisco’s residents and visitors. AlertSF will send alerts regarding emergencies disrupting vehicular / pedestrian traffic, watches and warnings for tsunamis, flooding and citywide post-disaster information to your registered wireless devices and email accounts.”

Travelweek also talked to Schwartz about new happenings in San Francisco, with a blockbuster lineup of events, milestones and more for the City by the Bay.

Here’s a look at many of SF’s top attractions, all celebrating big anniversaries in 2023, plus many top-billing events …

1. In 2023 Alcatraz celebrates the 60th anniversary of the closing of the infamous prison, while October ushers in Alcatraz’s 50th anniversary as a national park site.
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2. The Ferry Building is celebrating 125 years. Ahead of the Ferry Building’s 125th anniversary this July, new merchants have set up shop in the Ferry Building, joining stalwarts such as Hog Island Oyster Company, Gott’s Roadside and DandelionChocolate. New merchants in 2022 included artisanal crêpe destination Grande Creperie, Filipino-fusion hotspot Señor Sisig, Arab bakery Reem’s, Turkish bakery Simurgh Bakery, puppy favourite Mishka Dog Boutique, artisan dessert company Yes Pudding and butchery Fatted Calf.
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3. The Golden Gate Bridge celebrates 90 years since construction began on the iconic figure of San Francisco.
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4. In 1873, Scottish immigrant Andrew Smith Hallidie forever changed the face of the city with the invention of the first cable car. Now synonymous with San Francisco, the city’s cable cars will celebrate 150 years of traversing the city’s famed hills in September. The cable cars are the only moving national historic landmark in the U.S.
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5. SFJAZZ celebrates its 40th anniversary and the 10th birthday of the SFJAZZ Center, the first stand-alone structure in the country built specifically for jazz.
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6. San Francisco Ballet’s Creativity Explored’s 40th-anniversary celebration takes place, supporting artists with developmental disabilities in San Francisco.
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7. The San Francisco Bay Area will host more than 35 annual film festivals this year, including the SF Dance Film Festival in October.
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8. While springtime blooms are anticipated to be epic following record winter rains, San Francisco will also bloom this summer. The free Dahlia Dell, located next to the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park, is in full bloom in July, August and September.
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9. In terms of free outdoor concerts in the city’s parks and neighbourhoods, Golden Gate Park’s ‘Illuminate Live’ concert series at the bandshell is on through November. Yerba Buena Gardens Festival runs through October and Strictly Hardly Bluegrass takes place from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2.
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10. Presidio Tunnel Tops has outdoor space available for rent for group events. More than two decades in the making and designed by James Corner Field Operations (the firm behind New York’s High Line), the park comprises 14 acres of new national parkland, adding to the Presidio’s existing 1,500 acres.
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11. For clients who are feeling fancy, in the past 10 years, more and more restaurants in and around the San Francisco Bay Area have received at least one Michelin star. Michelin awarded stars to 28 San Francisco restaurants.

For more information about travel to this top U.S. destination, visit SFtravel.com