Tourism to San Francisco hasn't totally tanked in the first seven months of Donald Trump's second term, despite his success in alienating and offending Canadians and international travelers broadly.

SF Travel has released some new numbers for 2025, showing that tourism to the city continues to increase since pandemic lows, even if we still have not reached the record numbers of tourists seen in 2019. And this is mostly thanks to domestic travelers.

And international tourists are still coming here, though SF Travel has documented a dip so far this year — with notable decreases in the numbers of travelers from Mexico and Canada. The agency projects that 2.26 million international travelers will have come to the city by year-end, down 3.2% from 2024. And the amount they'll have spent here is  forecasted to decline 2.7%, to $4.89 billion.

Visits from Canada, meanwhile, are down a whopping 15%, and there are 7.8% fewer tourists coming from Mexico, SF Travel says.

Overall tourism volume and spending are doing okay, however, with a modest rise of 1.3% expected, reaching 23.49 million — up from 23.2 million in 2024 — and tourist spending forecasted at $9.35 billion. This is thanks to a bump in domestic travelers that is off-setting the decrease in international travel.

Seven major concert nights this month and the end of last in Golden Gate Park have helped, with Grateful Dead fans flocking from across the country for the 60th anniversary Dead & Company shows. There will also be boosts felt in local hotels from the upcoming Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Chase Center in September, and the fall convention season.

Hotel occupancy is expected to hit 65.2% by year-end, with the Moscone Center hosting a total of 34 events in 2025 — producing around 657,000 hotel room nights, which represents a 64% increase over 2024.

The Super Bowl being played in Santa Clara early next year, and the upcoming World Cup games, are expected to bring a boost for 2026 as well, but only 30 events have been scheduled at the Moscone Center so far for 2026.

"Meetings and events have fueled San Francisco’s tourism industry this year, and that momentum is carrying into 2026," says SF Travel CEO Anna Marie Presutti, in a statement. "From music festivals and global sports to conventions at Moscone Center, San Francisco is in demand. We’re seeing steady growth that benefits hotels, restaurants, attractions, and neighborhoods across the city."

The reopening of the renovated Westin St. Francis and the upcoming openings of some Union Square stores — the fate of Macy's notwithstanding — as well as shows coming to town like the Tony-winning Stereophonic, which comes to the Curran in October, should provide a boost to the Union Square area as well.

We'll see what Trump can do to scare people out of San Francisco in the coming months — and he's very likely going to try! — but for all intents and purposes, like Mayor Daniel Lurie likes to say, SF seems to be "coming back."

Previously: International Tourism to California Is Taking a Beating Under the Trump Administration

Photo by Jared Lisack