San Francisco’s New Tourism Chief Fights ‘Doom Loop’ Narrative
Photo Credit: San Francisco's new tourism chief is battling the city's negative reputation. Unsplash / Venti Views
Skift Take
San Francisco has been somewhat of a poster child for urban decay. The city's new tourism chief has a lot of work to do to change that image.
San Francisco has a long way to go before tourism, meetings and conferences fully return to the city. Its association with homelessness, public drug abuse and crime has done a lot to drag out its post-pandemic recovery.
Scott Beck, San Francisco Travel’s CEO and president, who took up the role last October, says the city has made progress in dealing with these issues and that he wants to set the record straight.
Beck spoke with Skift about fixing San Francisco’s damaged reputation, what was missing in San Francisco Travel’s recent $6 million marketing campaign, the city's events calendar, India becoming the next "powerhouse" and more.
The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Skift: What's your top strategic priority for marketing San Francisco?
Scott Beck: The first and foremost strategy to over-index right now is rebuilding our reputation [and] position as a destination for the meetings and events industry.
