The San Diego Tourism Authority on Thursday unveiled a nearly $9 million advertising campaign — hoping to attract more visitors to America's Finest City.
The "Signs" campaign — which is based on the agency's Happiness is Calling theme — is a multi-platform initiative that includes television commercials, and print, digital and billboard advertising. The campaign will run from Feb. 9 to June.
"Creative, new advertising is vitally important for San Diego to remain competitive with other visitor destinations," Joe Terzi, president and CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority, said in a statement. "The 'Signs' theme is the evolution of our Happiness is Calling campaign, which has been highly successful since we launched it nearly five years ago."
Most of the money will be spent on television advertising throughout the western United States in San Francisco, Sacramento, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles and Phoenix.
Terzi, who unveiled the campaign at the USS Midway, said researchers talked with focus groups in four U.S. cities and seven countries to get travelers’ perceptions of San Diego.
While the campaign is costing nearly $9 million, the authority said visitors spent more than $9 billion in the region last year. The city of San Diego got $203 million in hotel room tax revenue in 2014.
“So when tourists are coming to our town, enjoying themselves, spending dollars, that's helping us to pave roads, that's helping us to hire more police officers, keep our libraries and rec centers open,” said San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer. “So that nexus between a healthy tourism industry and healthy neighborhoods is critically important.”
