San Diego Tourism Statistics

San Diego welcomed 32.4 million visitors in 2025, who spent $14.4 billion.¹ 17.8 million of them stayed overnight and 14.6 million came for the day. Often called "America's Finest City," San Diego draws visitors with its mild climate, beaches, Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo. Below are the latest figures on visitor numbers, spending, hotels, conventions and the economic impact of tourism.

San Diego welcomed 32.4 million visitors (domestic and international) in 2025¹, and has drawn more than 30 million a year since 2023.

• Before the pandemic, 35.1 million people visited San Diego in 2019². Arrivals then fell to 14.3 million in 2020 and 23.8 million in 2021, 59% and 32% below the 2019 level.
• Visitors bounced back in 2022, when 28.8 million came, 21% more than the year before³.
• The recovery carried on through 2023, with 31.8 million visitors³.
• By 2024, the total had climbed to 32.5 million, nearing pre-pandemic levels.⁴
• Numbers held steady in 2025 at 32.4 million, roughly level with 2024 and still about 8% below 2019.¹

How many people visited San Diego in 2025?

San Diego welcomed 32.4 million visitors in 2025.¹

• This was slightly below 2024's 32.5 million¹ and about 8% below the 2019 level of 35.1 million².
• 17.8 million visitors stayed overnight and 14.6 million came as day visitors.¹
• Hotel occupancy slipped to 72.2% from 74.2% in 2024, and attendance at major attractions fell about 7%.¹

How many people visit San Diego's museums?

San Diego County has 416 arts institutions.¹

How many people visited attractions in San Diego in 2025?

• 13.4 million people visited San Diego's major attractions, such as zoos and parks, in 2025.¹ This was about 7% lower than the 14.4 million recorded in 2024.

• Mexico is San Diego's largest international market: 3.8 million Mexican day visitors crossed the border in 2025, the same as in 2024.¹
• Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany are San Diego's other leading international markets by visitor volume.⁷ Travel from Mexico has held up better than visits from other countries, particularly Canada.
• International Visa card spending shows where the money comes from: cards from Mexico spent $159.0 million in San Diego from January to June 2025, followed by Canada ($33.9 million), mainland China ($20.1 million), the United Kingdom ($9.5 million) and Japan ($7.8 million).⁸
• Germany ($7.2 million), Australia ($6.3 million), France ($5.7 million), South Korea ($5.1 million) and Brazil ($4.8 million) complete the top 10 by card spending.⁸

The San Diego Convention Center hosted 61 primary conventions in 2025, with a combined attendance of 551,659.¹

• Convention attendees spent $884.5 million in 2025, down from $924.8 million in 2024.¹
• Conventions booked 1,285,811 hotel room nights in 2025, up about 10% on 2024's 1,170,698.¹

What is the hotel occupancy rate in San Diego?

San Diego's hotels averaged 72.2% occupancy in 2025, down from 74.2% in 2024, at an average daily rate of $213 a night.¹

• Hotels sold 17.4 million room nights in 2025 out of 24.1 million available, while the number of room nights available grew from 23.6 million in 2024.¹
• About 10.0 million visitors stayed in a hotel or motel, 6.5 million stayed with friends or family and 1.2 million camped, used an RV or stayed elsewhere.¹
• San Diego County has 681 hotels, motels, B&Bs and casino hotels with 68,954 rooms, including 40,158 in the City of San Diego and 14,878 downtown.¹

July is San Diego's busiest travel month: 2.43 million passengers flew in and out of San Diego International Airport in July 2025¹¹, more than in any other month.

• June (2.32 million)¹² and August (2.32 million)¹³ came next, with October close behind at 2.31 million¹⁴.
• February was the quietest month, with 1.63 million passengers¹⁵.
• These figures count all arriving and departing airline passengers, including local residents, not visitors. San Diego does not publish visitor numbers by month.

San Diego continues to strengthen its reputation as one of the most desirable travel destinations in the United States, combining its beautiful coastline, cultural diversity, and thriving culinary scene.

2025

• San Diego was once again celebrated for its coastal charm and visitor experience, maintaining nominations for “North America’s Leading Beach Destination” at the World Travel Awards 2025¹⁶.
• La Jolla Cove ranked #5 Best Beach in the U.S.¹⁷, reinforcing San Diego’s global reputation as a premier coastal getaway.

2024

• Ranked #15 on Tripadvisor’s 2024 list of Top Destinations in the U.S. in its Travelers’ Choice Awards¹⁸.
• Ranked #10 on Tripadvisor’s 2024 list of Food Destinations in the U.S.¹⁹, spotlighting San Diego’s rise as a culinary hub with a mix of fine dining, coastal cuisine, and award-winning breweries.
• Ranked #2 Big City in the U.S. in Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards 2024, behind Chicago²⁰ and matching its 2023 result²¹.
• Visitor spending in San Diego reached a record $14.8 billion in 2024⁴, although visitor numbers and hotel occupancy were still below pre-pandemic levels.

Tourism had a total economic impact of $20 billion in San Diego in 2025, making it the region's second-largest industry.¹

• Visitors spent $14.4 billion directly in 2025.¹
• Tourism supports 1 in 8 jobs in San Diego.¹
• The industry generated more than $1 billion in tax revenue for San Diego County in 2025.¹
• Hotel taxes (transient occupancy tax) raised $425 million across San Diego County in FY25 (estimated), including $326.3 million for the City of San Diego, up from $418 million and $310 million in FY24.¹