San Antonio Tourism Statistics

San Antonio, Texas, is a city known for its rich history, iconic Alamo, lively River Walk, and a unique blend of Texan and Mexican culture.

San Antonio welcomed 36.8 million visitors in 2024, its highest total since the pandemic and close to the 2019 record.¹

• San Antonio attracted 41 million visitors in 2019. When the pandemic hit in 2020, this number decreased by 44% to approximately 23 million.²
• In 2021, 31.7 million tourists visited San Antonio³.
• In 2022, the total number of visits to San Antonio reached 34.8 million⁴, increasing to 35.6 million in 2023 and 36.8 million in 2024.¹

In 2024, direct travel spending in San Antonio reached $9.25 billion, according to the Dean Runyan Associates report for Travel Texas.⁶

• In 2019, visitor expenditure in San Antonio amounted to $8.54 billion. However, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, tourist expenditure declined to $5.2 billion.⁶
• By 2021, tourism spending recovered to $7.45 billion.⁶
• In 2022, visitor expenditures reached $9.09 billion, then $9.08 billion in 2023 and $9.25 billion in 2024, exceeding the pre-pandemic figure by 8%.⁶

San Antonio is a major city located in south-central Texas, United States. It serves as the county seat of Bexar County and is situated at the headwaters of the San Antonio River, approximately 80 miles (129 km) southwest of Austin, the state capital.⁷

• Geographical:
  • 80 miles (129 km) southwest of Austin
  • 190 miles (310 km) west of Houston
  • 250 miles (400 km) south of the Dallas-Fort Worth area

• Total Economic Contribution: The hospitality and tourism industry in San Antonio contributed a record $23.4 billion to the local economy in 2024, 34% above the pre-pandemic peak in 2019 and nearly 8% more than in 2023.¹
• Job Creation: The tourism sector employed more than 150,000 individuals in 2024, more than one in eight jobs in the San Antonio metropolitan area.¹

• San Antonio River Walk: A 15-mile scenic walkway with shops, restaurants, and boat tours, attracting 11.5 million visitors annually.
• The Alamo: Historic site symbolising Texas independence, featuring educational exhibits and reenactments, visited by over 4 million annually.
• Natural Bridge Caverns: Texas' largest underground attraction with guided tours showcasing stunning limestone formations.
• San Antonio Missions National Historical Park: A UNESCO World Heritage Site with five Spanish colonial missions and guided historical tours.⁸
• SeaWorld San Antonio: A marine-life theme park offering interactive exhibits, shows, and rides, drawing 2.6 million visitors annually.