http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/print-edition/2014/01/10/san-francisco-tourism-soars-to-giddy.html

By Eric Young

San Francisco’s tourism industry is enjoying heady days. Hotels are full. San Francisco’s airport is busy. And big events like the 2016 Super Bowl are on the horizon.

Taylor Safford, the CEO at Pier 39 and a hospitality industry veteran, talked about how the local tourism business has changed, the challenges it faces and lessons from the 2013 America’s Cup.

What is the state of the tourism industry in San Francisco now?
Very robust. It’s as good as I’ve ever seen it. The local economy being so strong and vibrant and having the highest occupancy rates in the nation is a great indicator.

How has the local tourism business changed in recent years?
A couple of things. It’s more competitive. More attractions. More attention to cater to the inbound visitor. The (San Francisco) port has done a wonderful job of developing the waterfront. Also Joe D’Alessandro’s investments in SF Travel have made a difference for that team focused not just on the inbound visitor for conventions but they are much more broadly focused, like on neighborhoods. That is key.

What should be the biggest concern for companies in the S.F. tourism business right now?
The industry has to stay innovative to remain competitive. Housing and transportation are huge issues for our industry. Our base level salaries are not as high as other industries. Our base level employee is reliant on transportation and housing. Some of that is problematic right now.

How could S.F. help the hospitality business?
The city needs to balance progressive policies with a reasonable approach to business. The legislation that just came out from David Chiu about employees being allowed to request special work weeks and limited work times, that’s a difficult thing to balance and legislating the relationship between employer and employee is probably not the best way to go.

Any lessons from the 2013 America’s Cup?
It was fantastic for the city. We’ll be so much smarter the next time around. The industry found it challenging that there was so much turnover in the America’s Cup Event Authority leading up to put the plan in place. The first time out of the box it was unfortunate. Also having more local boots on the ground and getting engaged with the business community here earlier would have solved a lot of problems. The transportation program put into place for the America’s Cup was a success and a model for waterfront development.

What are you looking forward to regarding Super Bowl 50 in 2016 in Santa Clara?
I’m happy to see SFTravel and people who have heavy city connections like Pat Gallagher are already part of it. I think the Super Bowl is going to be an absolute home run as long as San Francisco is the focus of the party.