Author: Alfredo Casuso

LIVES OF THE LINERS: CRUISING, CRUISE SHIPS & THE COVID PANDEMIC – June 6, 2021

Written on June 6, 2021.

LIVES OF THE LINERS: CRUISING, CRUISE SHIPS & THE COVID PANDEMIC – June 6, 2021

From Bill Miller

June 2021

Tue Jun 1^st MSC Cruises: Adam Coulter, UK Managing Editor of Cruise Critic, was on the very first cruise from a British port (Southampton) onboard the MSC Virtuosa (below). While a short cruise, it gave an insight into what might be cruising for the immediate future. Mr Coulter’s observations in brief:

Buffets: all foods and drinks handled by servers

Mask wearing in all public areas

Enchanced shipboard cleaning & cleansing

Fresh masks provided each morning

Great spaciousness with only 1,000 out of 6,200 passengers onboard

Different entertainments offered at same time to offset crowding

Fitbit, watch-like device to open stateroom door, booking entertainment & bill paying

Menus given through mobile phone

Lifeboat drill done through stateroom video

Passengers allowed ashore only on strictly guided tours

Mr Coulter concluded that while it might all seem strange at first, passengers adapt very quickly and easily. Everyone is just happy to be back aboard a big, beautiful cruise ship and traveling. And PS: Staff & crew are more pleasing & caring than ever – they too are happy to be back!

Carnival: Sprucing up! The 2,800-passenger Carnival Victory sailed her final cruise last Feb but due to the pandemic, the ship’s transformation/refit was delayed for over a year. Now, the vessel is currently in dry dock receiving a massive remodeling and will emerge as the renamed Carnival Radiance.

British Connection! One of our top agents, Dave Hutchings sent photos of P&O’s new Iona in Southampton waters. While German built, the 184,000-tonner is the largest British owned passenger liner yet. She can carry 5,200 passengers. Quite a contrast from, say, the 83,000-ton, 2,233-passenger Queen Elizabeth of sixty years ago.

Captain Stubing: Gavin MacLeod, a TV sitcom veteran who played seaman “Happy” Haines on McHale’s Navy, Murray on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and the very different, vaguely patrician Captain Stubing on The Love Boat, died on May 29th. He was 90. The hugely successful Love Boat series was often featured onboard the Pacific Princess (seen below at Sydney), built in 1971 but now scrapped. Sensibly, MacLeod became a long-standing spokesman for both Princess Cruises and the entire cruise industry.

Moving About: From over in England, Nick Braddock reports the giant ferry Silja Europa (below) is heading to Falmouth for G7 accommodation purposes.

Wed Jun 2 Mid East Bound! The 205,000-ton MSC World Europa is set to debut at the end of 2022 sailing in the Middle East with bookings opening for MSC’s first World class vessel. She will set sail in Dec 2022 and will spend her inaugural season in the Gulf. Her season will commence with a special four-night sailing from Doha in Qatar to her new homeport of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The 6,850-passenger MSC World Europa will offer seven-night cruises from Dubai to the nearby Abu Dhabi and then onto Sir Bani Yas Island. Her program in the Gulf has also been enriched with calls in the port of Dammam, Saudi Arabia, visiting Al Ahsa oasis. The ship also calls Doha, the capital of Qatar, before returning to Dubai with an overnight in the city.

Silversea has announced new summer voyages in Alaska and Iceland, starting in Jul 2021.With the passage of the U.S. Alaska Tourism Restoration Act, which enables cruises to Alaska without required stops in Canada, the Silver Muse will resume round-trip sailings from Seattle starting Jul 29th, making Silversea the first luxury cruise line to operate in Alaska this summer.

Spain will allow cruise ships to dock in its ports from Jun 7^th, the transport ministry said on Saturday, hoping to salvage the country’s battered tourism sector in time for the summer season.

UK Cruising: Our super agent Dave Hutchings has sent along the photo below of Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth, back to cruising and seen in Southampton Water.

TUI Cruises is set to grow in size and reach. It is reported that British cruise line Marella Cruises, which is currently owned by TUI Group, will be integrated into TUI Cruises – a joint venture between TUI Group and Royal Caribbean Group. The handover of Marella will expand TUI Cruises, which currently operates in the German market, into a European cruise line. Earlier, in 2020, another cruise line, Hapag Lloyd Cruises, was integrated into the TUI Cruises brand in a similar fashion. Marella Cruises currently has a fleet of four ships – the Marella Explorer, Marella Explorer 2, Marella Discovery and Marella Discovery 2.

Further Return: AIDA Cruises today announced that bookings are now open for AIDAcosma’s voyages over Christmas and New Year’s Eve, with AIDAcosma embarking Dec 22^nd 2021, on a unique positioning cruise from Hamburg to Gran Canaria. Guests will experience New Year’s Eve while anchored in the harbor of Madeira with a perfect view of its famous fireworks display. The cruises are now bookable and can be combined for an extended holiday in the travel period Dec 22nd 2021 to Jan 8th.

Island Princess & Millennium at Ketchikan

Hurtigruten: With booking levels almost 50% higher than pre-pandemic levels, Hurtigruten Group reports record strong demand for 2022 small-ship experiences. As Hurtigruten Group reports its first-quarter results, the expedition cruise operator’s updated booking report shows very positive signs on the travel industry’s post-pandemic comeback. Across Hurtigruten Expeditions, the world’s largest expedition cruise company, and Hurtigruten Norwegian Coastal Express, bookings for 2022 are currently 45% ahead of bookings for 2020 as of the same time in 2019.

Thu Jun 3^rd Queen Mary: In the 85 years since its maiden voyage, the RMS Queen Mary has survived rogue waves, transatlantic crossings and even a world war. For the last five decades, it’s enjoyed a second life docked in Long Beach, riding waves of popularity and tough times as a tourist attraction. But the historic ship is now facing its most challenging voyage yet. After years of neglect by a string of operators, the Queen Mary is so creaky and leaky that it needs $23 million in immediate repairs, according to a trove of court documents and inspection reports released last month. There is growing concern that if something is not done soon, the ship could fall into critical disrepair and be in danger of sinking.

Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wish is to feature the Wish Tower Suite, a penthouse situated in the forward funnel of the ship, when she debuts in summer 2022.

Chinese Owners: The 2,600-passenger Carnival Fascination, which was sold by Carnival Cruise Line in 2020 due to the impact of the global pandemic, is currently undergoing a refurbishment to restart cruises out of mainland China.

The Star Pisces at Hong Kong’s Ocean Terminal

Thu Jun 3^rd Silversea has announced a return to sailing with new summer voyages in Alaska and Iceland, starting in Jul 2021. The Silver Muse will resume 10- and 11-day roundtrip sailings to Alaska from Seattle starting Jul 29th and 10-day roundtrip Reykjavik itineraries onboard the Silver Shadow showcasing Iceland will begin on Jul 30th.

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P&O Cruises’ Oceana at Southampton

MSC Cruises: It won’t be quite the world’s biggest cruise ship. But it’ll be close. MSC Cruises on Monday said the massive new vessel it has on order for delivery in late 2022, the MSC World Europa, would be 22 decks high — four decks higher than the current size leader in the cruise world, Royal Caribbean‘s Symphony of the Seas.

It’ll also be 1,093 feet long, making it longer than any other MSC Cruises vessel ever built. Still, it won’t quite top the Symphony of the Seas as the world’s biggest cruise ship. The Symphony of the Seas and its three sister vessels — Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas — will remain the queens of the megaship world thanks to greater lengths and widths. In all, the MSC World Europa will measure about 205,000 tons — about 10% less than the four Royal Caribbean ships, known as the Oasis Class. Like the Oasis Class ships, MSC World Europa will be able to hold nearly 7,000 passengers with all berths filled — 6,762 to be exact.

Buzz along the Manhattan Waterfront: Like others, Royal Caribbean is supportive of resumption of service. So, we’ve “heard” that they plan on doing a 2-day test cruise via Bayonne on Aug 17^th and then resume a weekly service as of Aug 29^th. Yes, things are indeed looking up!

Queen Mary 2 & Costa Fortuna together at St Kitts

Disney Cruise Line will conduct a test and simulation cruise for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with volunteer guests aboard the 2010-built Disney Dream out of Port Canaveral for a two-night cruise. Disney follows Royal Caribbean International as the second cruise line to get CDC approval for the test cruise option, which will lead to letting a ship operate with non-vaccinated passengers under health and safety protocols.

Dream Cruises’ recently announced restart of cruises onboard the Genting Dream in Hong Kong has been met with an enthusiastic response from the public. After just one week of sales since bookings officially opened on May 27th, Genting Dream’s first two high seas “Super Summer Seacation” cruises departing on July 30th and Aug 1^st are close to 90 percent while Friday night departures throughout August are at nearly 50 percent capacity.

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The Azores at Reykjavik

Out of the old shoebox:

Above: Viking Sun berthed in reflection in Brazil (Jan 2019); Below: The legendary France departing from New York (Jun 1973)

Thank you to all our readers, correspondents, those “agents” in faraway places!

The discovery and unveiling of Gilbert Baker’s 1978 original

Written on June 3, 2021.

Media contact: David Perry / David Perry & Associates, Inc. (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com

MEDIA ADVISORY / REQUEST FOR COVERAGE: FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 11am PACIFIC

WHO / SPEAKERS:

The GLBT Historical Society Board Member Tina Valentin Aguirre and Board Chair Maria Powers
GLBT Historical Society Executive Director Terry Beswick
San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed
California State Senator Scott Wiener
San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman
Activist and author Cleve Jones
Gilbert Baker Foundation President Charles Beal

WHAT:

The discovery and unveiling of Gilbert Baker’s 1978 original.
Rainbow Flag, returned to San Francisco and donated to the GLBT Historical Society after being lost for over 40 years

WHERE:

The GLBT Historical Society Museum

4127 18th Street (between Castro and Collingwood), San Francisco

WHEN:

Friday, June 4 (11 a.m. – 1 p.m.)

11 a.m. press availability (B-Roll / Backgrounder interviews)
12 p.m.: Remarks
12:30 p.m.: Unveiling of original Rainbow Flag section

WEB:

glbthistory.org/rainbow-flag

WHAT WE DO:

The GLBT Historical Society collects, preserves, exhibits and makes accessible to the public materials and knowledge to support and promote understanding of LGBTQ history, culture and arts in all their diversity. Founded in 1985, we are recognized internationally as a leader in the field of LGBTQ public history. Our operations are centered at two sites: the GLBT Historical Society Museum, located since 2011 in the heart of San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood; and the Dr. John P. De Cecco Archives and Research Center, open to researchers in the Mid-Market district.

EXHIBIT SPONSORS:

Gilbert Baker Foundation, ABSOLUT® Vodka, Rythm, Big Run Studios

WHY:

In April 2021, the GLBT Historical Society received an archival donation of an extraordinary, unique piece of history, now being publicly unveiled during the Pride season: a fragment of one of the two monumental rainbow flags first raised on June 25, 1978 in San Francisco’s United Nations Plaza at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade. Displaying the original design’s eight colored stripes, it was created by Gilbert Baker (1951–2017) and hand-stitched and dyed with the help of volunteers and friends, including Lynn Segerblom (Faerie Argyle Rainbow), James McNamara, Glenne McElhinney, Joe Duran and Paul Langlotz. Thought to have been lost for over 40 years, the fragment was recently rediscovered and is the only known surviving remnant of the two inaugural rainbow flags.

“Finding the Original Rainbow Flag”

An Account by Charles Beal

President of the Gilbert Baker Foundation

On June 4, 2021, The GLBT Historical Society Museum and Archives in San Francisco will be unveiling a historic artifact, thought to be lost forever. It is a fragment of one of the two original Rainbow Flags from 1978, recently discovered. It measures 10 feet by 28 feet.

In 1978, Gilbert Baker designed and created the first LGBTQ Rainbow Flag and companion flags with the help of Lynn Segerblom, James McNamara and more than 30 volunteers. The flags flew proudly during the 1978 San Francisco Gay Freedom Day celebrations at United Nations Plaza. In June of 1979, Gilbert planned to retrieve the original flags from storage at the San Francisco Gay Community Center. He discovered that the flags, stored under a leaky roof, were badly mildewed. Gilbert Baker managed to salvage a portion of one of the original eight-color flags. This fragment remained in his possession, secretly, for decades. When Baker died unexpectedly in 2017, this original flag piece was among boxed possessions that were given to his sister Ardonna Cook.

Two years later, the Gilbert Baker Foundation was looking for a large flag to carry in the June 2019 Stonewall 50 Pride Parade in New York City. Foundation President Charles Beal asked Cook if she could loan a large flag from Baker’s belongings. She mailed the Foundation the 1978 flag fragment, not knowing its provenance. The Foundation carried the fragment proudly in the Stonewall 50 parade, also oblivious to its identity. After the parade, the flag fragment was folded up and stored in Beal’s Greenwich Village Manhattan home. It was a chance phone call from a stranger that alerted Beal to the amazing backstory to this ragged piece of cloth.

In late August of 2019, Beal was contacted by James Ferrigan, a world-renowned flag expert who had worked with Gilbert Baker in the late seventies at the Paramount Flag Company in San Francisco. During a lively conversation, Ferrigan mentioned the fragment of the original 1978 flag, asking where it now resides. The last time he had seen it was in Baker’s San Francisco apartment in the early eighties. When Ferrigan described the flag, Beal suddenly realized this artifact was gathering dust in his closet. Beal began playing detective. He reached out to people who worked with Gilbert Baker in 1978 and learned from two different sources, including veteran activist Lee Mentley, about the damaged flags in the community center.

The next task for Beal was to authenticate the fragment. He traveled in February of 2020 to San Francisco where he was scheduled to join a panel discussion about the Rainbow Flag with Ferrigan at the GLBT Historical Society Museum. Beal brought the fragment with him. Prior to the event, he invited Ferrigan to his hotel to inspect the piece. The veteran vexillologist identified the stitching and grommets done by Paramount. He declared without doubt that the Foundation was in possession of the original 1978 LGBTQ+ Rainbow Flag and prepared an official vexillological report confirming the provenance of the fragment.

This historic artifact will be added to the Gilbert Baker Collection that resides at the GLBT Historical Society Museum and Archives in San Francisco. It will be the centerpiece of the exhibition entitled “Performance, Protest and Politics: The Art of Gilbert Baker.”

LIVES OF THE LINERS: CRUISING, CRUISE SHIPS & THE COVID PANDEMIC – MAY 30, 2021

Written on May 30, 2021.

LIVES OF THE LINERS: CRUISING, CRUISE SHIPS & THE COVID PANDEMIC – MAY 30, 2021

From Bill Miller

May 2021

Thu May 27^th Royal Caribbean International has received CDC approval to conduct a simulated voyage with volunteers from June 20 to 22 aboard the Freedom of the Seas under the Conditional Sailing Order.

Hong Kong: The cruise industry is back in Hong Kong as the local government has approved cruises to nowhere starting in July. Genting Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International are expected to operate from Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, with other lines also poised to soon make announcements.

Regent Seven Seas: With their Seven Seas Splendor already announced to return in September, Regent Seven Seas Cruises announced today its resumption of sailing plan for the rest of its fleet, which will see all five ships back by Feb 2022.

Oceania: Things to resume, to bubble! Oceania Cruises announced that it will resume cruise operations with three additional ships, the Riviera, Insignia and Sirena, between October 2021 and January 2022.

Fri May 28^th Recap! Since the start of the Covid pandemic, the worldwide cruise industry has lost a staggering $77 billion. In addition, 160,000 jobs were lost. But on the bright side, in a recent survey 2 out of 3 previous cruise passengers reported that they will return to cruising.

Royal Caribbean has axed, so we’ve heard, its temporary cruise program out of Bermuda.

Celebrity: The first! Yesterday, the Celebrity Edge received approval from the US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention to return to service from Fort Lauderdale on Jun 26th, making it the first ship scheduled to sail out of an American homeport since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The ship will require U.S. passengers over 16 to be fully vaccinated, with the requirement adjusting to guests 12 and older on August 1, 2021. The crew will be fully vaccinated, and it will be captained by Kate McCue, the first American female cruise ship captain. The Celebrity Edge (below) will alternate Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries.

Carnival has indicated that while it will resume cruising from other US ports, it will not return to New York until as far off as Jun 2022. The Carnival Magic will then begin to make sailings from the Big Apple.

Norwegian Cruise Lines will resume cruising from New York in late Oct with a series of Bermuda & Bahamas itineraries.

Viking has yanked their Viking Star from fall NY-Montreal cruising and instead sent the ship off to Malta for a series of western Med cruises.

Sat May 29^th Restart! It’s official: It’s going to take many, many months for Norwegian Cruise Line to get all of its ships back into operation. Ditto for Norwegian’s two sister lines, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. The three cruise brands on Wednesday announced restart plans for more than half of their collective fleets with restart dates for ships that still are five to nine months away. The restart plans covered eight of Norwegian’s 17 ships, three of Oceania’s six ships and four of Regent’s five ships. The earliest restart date announced for any of the vessels was Oct 16th. But some of the vessels won’t be back in operation until February of 2022.

Some of the world’s biggest cruise lines in recent days have finally begun announcing concrete plans to restart sailings out of U.S. ports. Celebrity Cruises, for instance, on Wednesday said it would resume cruises out of Fort Lauderdale on Jun 26th. And the world’s largest cruise line, Royal Caribbean, said on Friday that it would begin cruises to Alaska out of Seattle on Jul 19th. Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America and Carnival Cruise Line also have begun announcing restart plans. Still, even as they gear up for a U.S. restart, cruise lines are saying they only will operate a few ships out of U.S. ports at first. The plan — at least for now — is to bring additional ships into operation gradually over many months.

Sat May 29^th Carnival Corporation today received U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s (CDC) acceptance of its Phase 2A Port Agreements for PortMiami, Port of Galveston and Port Canaveral – all key homeports for Carnival Cruise Line and the first three homeports that Carnival is focusing on for its return to guest operations this summer, according to a press release. Carnival has already announced that the Carnival Horizon (sailing from Miami) and Carnival Vista and Carnival Breeze (sailing from Galveston) will be the first ships to carry guests as the line plans its July return to service. Port Canaveral has also been identified as a restart priority, and Carnival expects to announce plans for operations from there over the coming days, the company said.

Hamburg will again welcome cruise ships this summer as the German city is opening to tourism. TUI Cruises announced it will sail from Hamburg on Jun 11th with the Mein Schiff 6, offering short cruises with no port calls. To start, the German brand will offer three- and four-day scenic cruises, and hopes to rotate in ports at a later date. Carnival brand AIDA Cruises also confirmed that it will base a ship in Hamburg starting in July with more details to follow soon.

Travel: Record weekend travel numbers are being recorded in the United States — and almost all current short cruises from the UK are sold out. There’s heavy bookings for Med cruises on Viking, Costa & MSC. Viking has just had to add a third ship for western Med itineraries from Malta.

Weekend Update: In this 3-day Memorial Day holiday weekend, 37 million Americans are traveling, which is up 60% from a year ago. Alone, some 2 million travelers passed through airports on Friday and major airlines are reporting flights at 80-90% capacity. With Covid cases now down by 70%, it is all part of what is being called “The Come Back”.

New York: As a close, one of our top agents reports that the “buzz” around New York harbor is that Norwegian Cruise Lines will resume sailings from Manhattan on Oct 21st or 22^nd, Royal Caribbean in March 2022 and Carnival in June ’22.

Canada: It does seem that Canadian East Coast ports will reopen for autumn cruises. But then, things are changing so quickly – and, of course, one should never say never! Below: The mighty Royal Princess anchored off Bar Harbor, Maine.

Out of the old shoebox:

Above: The arriving Crystal Serenity meets the Crystal Symphony at Turks & Caicos (Nov 2016); Below: The classic Cristoforo Colombo makes a Sat afternoon departure – with the Franconia in the background and the Cunard freighter Servia to the left (May 1968)

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Thank you to all our readers, correspondents, those “agents” in faraway places!

City Council Approves July 1 return of Palm Springs VillageFest!

Written on May 28, 2021.

Amy Blaisdell
Communications Director
City of Palm Springs
(760) 323-8250

City Council Approves July 1 return of Palm Springs VillageFest!
One-time Mini-Village Fest set for Tuesday, June 15 to celebrate “Palm
Springs Back in Business” and the re-opening of California!

May 28, 2021

Palm Springs VillageFest, the City’s wildly popular street fair which prior to the
COVID-19 pandemic, was held every Thursday night in downtown, will return on
Thursday, July 1.

With COVID-19 cases significantly down, the City Council approved re-opening
VillageFest at last night’s meeting, with a smaller footprint and safety protocols in
place. The street fair is expected to expand to its original length in the coming
months. During the summer, VillageFest hours of operation will be 7 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Starting July 1, Palm Canyon Drive from Amado Road to Tahquitz Canyon Way will
be closed for VillageFest. Additionally, Museum Way between Palm Canyon Drive
and Belardo Road, and Belardo Road between Andreas Road and Tahquitz
Canyon will be closed. Tahquitz Canyon Way will remain open to east and west
traffic.

And there’s more good news! The Council additionally approved a one-time mini-
Village Fest on Tahquitz Canyon Way between Palm Canyon and Indian Canyon
from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 15 to celebrate “Palm Springs Back in
Business” and the re-opening of California. Join NBC Palm Springs as they go
live in the heart of downtown during their 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts.

Starting at 3 p.m. on June 15, Tahquitz Canyon Way between Palm Canyon Drive
and Indian Canyon Drive will be closed until 9 p.m.

Consistently voted the best weekly street fair in the Coachella Valley, over the last
30 years VillageFest has attracted thousands of visitors from all over the world with
vendor booths featuring eclectic art, handcrafted items and unique food. Shops,
restaurants and galleries stay open late.

Stay tuned for more details as VillageFest expands in the coming months.

MAYOR LONDON BREED ANNOUNCES PLAN TO SUPPORT THE RETURN OF CONVENTIONS TO SAN FRANCISCO

Written on May 27, 2021.

Subject:*** PRESS RELEASE *** MAYOR LONDON BREED ANNOUNCES PLAN TO SUPPORT THE RETURN OF CONVENTIONS TO SAN FRANCISCO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Thursday, May 27, 2021

Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications, mayorspressoffice@sfgov.org

*** PRESS RELEASE ***

MAYOR LONDON BREED ANNOUNCES PLAN TO SUPPORT THE RETURN OF CONVENTIONS TO SAN FRANCISCO

Mayor Breed proposes $4.6 million over two years to reduce the cost of rental rates for conventions in the Moscone Center

San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed and City Administrator Carmen Chu today announced a plan to invest $4.6 million to support the return of conventions to San Francisco. These funds will be used to reduce the cost of renting space at Moscone Center, San Francisco’s convention center, and are intended to attract conventions, conferences, trade shows, and other large events back to San Francisco. This funding is part of Mayor Breed’s efforts to support San Francisco’s downtown and economic recovery, including community ambassadors and activations in the area.

Conventions and the business travelers that they bring to the city are a key part of San Francisco’s $10 billion tourism industry. During the COVID-19 pandemic, non-essential travel and large gatherings were suspended. With the reopening of businesses and activities, this investment demonstrates San Francisco’s commitment to welcoming and supporting the return of conventions to the city. The City’s commitment to regaining its convention industry comes as Salesforce today announced that Dreamforce, its annual convention and the world’s largest software event, is returning to San Francisco in September 2021.

“Conventions and conferences help support our downtown’s economy and tourism industry, and we’re so excited to welcome these events and their attendees back to our city,” said Mayor Breed. “Tourism and convention dollars help pay for important City services and allow us to take care of our most vulnerable residents. We’re making it even easier for organizers to host their next event in San Francisco, because bringing these activities will bring life and energy back to our downtown area and help our entire city recover.”

Mayor Breed plans to reduce the cost of rental rates for conventions at the Moscone Center with funding in her proposed City Budget, which will be introduced on June 1, 2021. The Mayor is proposing to dedicate $2.6 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021-22 and $2 million in FY 2022-23. If approved in the budget, these funds will be available in late summer.

This support for conventions at the Moscone Center comes at a pivotal time, when the convention market is in flux as a result of COVID-19. As San Francisco focuses on confirming conventions that were postponed due to COVID-19 and reestablishing itself as a destination for conventions, it must compete with other cities that are working to attract convention business. This funding provides San Francisco with another tool to ensure this aspect of the city’s economy is supported and will help to confirm several pending conventions that are considering San Francisco and attract other conventions to the city.

“San Francisco is a dynamic and remarkable City to visit and a strong convention lineup helps anchor our tourism industry, supporting local businesses, hospitality and the entertainment industry,” said City Administrator Carmen Chu, who also served as co-chair for the City’s Economic Recovery Task Force. “Our center is ready to welcome visitors back with enhanced operating protocols and this funding only strengthens our position in the competitive national market for convention business.”

San Francisco remains a competitive destination for conventions. San Francisco has been a national leader its response to COVID-19 and has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, demonstrating the City’s commitment to doing everything possible to protect the safety of its residents and anyone who want to visit. The City’s location as the “Gateway to the West,” its world class airport with global connectivity, and robust hospitality infrastructure, combined with its world-renowned restaurants and cultural institutions, and access to nature and global regional destinations such as Napa Valley and Big Sur, make it highly desirable as a location.

“Group convention business at Moscone Center fuels our economy, provides much needed tax revenues to the city and good jobs,” said Joe D’Alessandro, President and CEO of the San Francisco Travel Association. “The convention market is highly competitive, and this Moscone Convention funding is essential in helping us attract group business and remain relevant in the aggressive convention market.”

San Francisco hosted more than 1,600 conventions and meetings in 2019, but that number dropped to a total of 29 conventions since April 2020. By drawing conventions back to San Francisco, the City is investing in the recovery of jobs and small businesses in its hospitality and entertainment industries, which bore the brunt of the economic impacts of COVID-19. Increased convention traffic brings hotel reservations, patrons to restaurants and bars and arts venues, and business to local shops and entertainment establishments. Based on the number of conventions currently considering San Francisco as a destination, the City expects the Moscone Convention funding will return approximately 140,000 to 150,000 room nights for San Francisco. This would generate almost $173 million in direct convention spending and almost $5 million in Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT). The TOT tax, generated from each room night booked at a San Francisco hotel, goes into the City’s General Fund to provide essential City services.

“Bringing back conventions, meetings and hotel room nights are critical to our economic health and future sustainability and viability,” said Kevin Carroll, President & CEO of the Hotel Council of San Francisco. “Full hotels mean full restaurants and mean a full recovery for San Francisco. Full hotels mean more work not only for hospitality employees but for the tens of thousands of jobs and small businesses they support.”

The Moscone Convention Recovery Fund complements other recovery initiatives such as “SFWednesdays,” a series of activations in public space throughout downtown, the Downtown Community Ambassadors, and the Mid-Market Vibrancy and Safety Plan, all of which are aimed at increasing the return of San Francisco residents, commuters, and visitors to the downtown core of the City. A key aspect of the city’s economic recovery strategy prioritizes the return of San Francisco’s business and tourism industries – two industries that drive the city’s economy and create significant support for small businesses throughout the downtown and the city’s neighborhoods. Conventions support both these industries and advance broader economic vitality.

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