Posted on 09/10/2023 3:36:29 AM PDT by Libloather
San Francisco has hired a tourism official to encourage travelers to visit the 'the city by the bay' as it battles rampant crime, homeless and drugs crisis.
Josh Beck will be the new president and CEO of The San Francisco Travel Association, and the person that the city's tourism bureau and marketing organization is looking at in hopes of bringing SanFran back to the bustling vacation hub it once was.
Beck, who is currently head of Destination Toronto, will begin his new post on October 30, replacing former head Joe D'Alessandro, who headed the travel organization for nearly two decades and who is set to retire in December.
The city has been hit hard over the last few years by a homeless crisis, rampant drug use and public safety concerns. In August, the city reported nearly 1,670 car break-ins, contributing to the nearly 10,000 thefts from vehicles recorded in the city this year.
During the Labor Day holiday, multiple groups of tourists fell victim to car break-ins that that saw all their personal belongings and passports stolen, which occurred in broad daylight and within minutes of each other at a San Francisco Beach.
Despite these, Beck claims the biggest challenge is the 'ongoing narrative about San Francisco as a monolithic experience, when it's clearly not,' the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Beck claimed the media reports about whether San Francisco is safe is 'not 100 percent accurate,' as per the news outlet.
The city has a massive tourism and hospitality industry that supports more than 53,000 jobs.
While some vacationers have been returning, the flow of tourism has been nothing close to what they city of Frisco saw in 2019 at its peak, and experts claim will take a few years to get back to that level.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
One look at a picture of Josh Beck tells you San Francisco has not even started to learn the lesson, and that it is NOT SAFE to go back, especially for kids.
Been going to the by area nearly 30 years now, 30 years ago, as long as you avoided certain problem areas, like any big city, it was a lovely place to visit if you knew what you were doing. I even lived in the South Bay for a little over a year in 2000/2001.
However even back then, it stood in stark contrast to many other major cities. The permissiveness of homelessness and drugs petty crime was ridiculous. Urine smell was a common assault on your nose, and being harassed by junkies/beggars was and almost constant. The other difference, was just how stark the dividing lines were between nicer/safe area and a less than safe area. The city really didn’t have a gradual transition where you worked from a nice block down to a bad one, with several blocks where they declined in between.. it was just night and day. One block upscale, clean, we’ll kept, next block complete decay.
Today, not a chance in hell I would go there for a “vacation”, while being accosted by junkies and the mentally I’ll may not be a “violent” crime it sure as hell isn’t what I need to deal with or subject my family to. Walking around junkies and human excrement is not anything I need or consider a vacation.
It’s a shame what the left has done to Americas great urban centers. There was some signs of hope when they voted to kick out the school board… maybe if the Asians got a serious about good governance as they are about academics they can help change the trajectory of the city.
What’s that spider fly thing ,LOL
Unless it's understood that his job is just to funnel money through another government program. He might be very adept at that.
Expect to see "Renaissance" and "Renaissance City" showing up in advertising for San Francisco as this guy, at best, will recycle the slogans from the 1990s for Democrat cities.
How’s the shopping in Union Square these days?
Crappy. Many closed stores.
Won’t happen. The cancer is metastasized.
“Fisherman’s Wharf is in trouble, but it’s more than a tourist trap. It’s a historic and cultural landmark that showcases the fishing industry and the diverse communities that have shaped San Francisco. It’s also a place where you can enjoy fresh seafood, scenic views, and entertainment.
According to some web search results, Fisherman’s Wharf is facing several challenges, such as the impact of the pandemic, the fire that destroyed a warehouse on Pier 45, the vulnerability of the old structures to earthquakes, and the decline of visitors. However, there are also some proposals to revitalize the area and preserve its heritage, such as creating an experiential museum, a wholesale seafood market, a food hall, and an events space1. These plans aim to attract more locals and tourists, as well as support the fishermen and small businesses that depend on the wharf.
Fisherman’s Wharf is in trouble, but it’s not hopeless. It’s more than a tourist trap. It’s a treasure that deserves to be protected and celebrated.”
This sounds like the kind of job tailor-made specifically for the Bud Light girl; isn’t she looking for something to do?
You’re far less likely to be the victim of violent crime in S.F.
Give it a rest already. San Francisco is the Bud Lite of cities.
Wordsmithing of a weasel. How about he puts his money where his mouth is? He should post a bond for $500K. if you are robbed, assaulted, carjacked, raped, or such, you receive the $500K. Go ahead punk, make someone rich.
They need Dirty Harry.
He’s right. It’s not 100% true, it’s only 99% true!
“and the ‘diverse communities’ that have shaped San Francisco”
Gotta sneak that diversity crap in there don’t you?
It’s only 99.99999999999999999999% true
Also city leaders: "Let's hire a tourist travel agent from Canada. He can solve our problems."
He insists claims city is unsafe are not ‘100% true’ it’s just 99.9% true.
I took my mother to see River Dance in San Francisco in 1998. Wonderful show. When leaving the theater after it was over, we had to walk past people sprawled out on the pavement in the theater entrance, and all down the sidewalk, on the way to the parking lot.
In 1998, I vowed never again to be in downtown San Francisco after dark.
I don’t know how many times I’ve been to SF but I’m dead certain about how many times I’m going again.
ditto that
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