San Diego is expected to see a record number of tourists in July, tourism officials said Thursday.
Hundreds of thousands of visitors are going to stream into the city from all over the world for the All-Star Game, Comic-Con International and the San Diego Pride Parade and Festival, said Joe Terzi, CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority.
Hotel occupancy for the month will be about 95 percent, a record, he said. Visitors are projected to spend as much as $2 billion in hotels, restaurants and other businesses.
"San Diego in July is always very busy, but this is going to be by far the busiest we've ever been," Terzi said.
He said the major league baseball events are the biggest draw. The Fourth of July weekend is also expected to lure tourists as the Automobile Club of Southern California recently ranked the city the top destination for the holiday in the region, Terzi said.
He encourages San Diegans to take public transportation to all of the events.
City officials have been relocating homeless people from downtown ahead of July. Terzi said it’s an effort to clean up the community.
“I mean, if you have 200 journalists from around the world here, you want to make sure you show yourself well," he said.
However, Terzi added that he doesn't think it’s a permanent solution to homelessness and that the city should continue working to create long-term solutions.
