Helping California’s beloved beach city plan to become a cultural hub for the world.
Resonance was engaged to do a comprehensive, 10-year update to San Diego’s tourism plan and recommend ways to enhance the city’s tourism sector while prioritizing sustainability, economic growth and community engagement. Interviews, meetings and forums were held with residents, business leaders and key stakeholders, ensuring a broad spectrum of perspectives.
Our research showed that while San Diego is well-known for its beaches, it boasts a wide range of outdoor attractions far from the water. Visitors were also spending time and money in a rich network of museums and at other cultural offerings. The plan emphasizes showcasing San Diego’s rich cultural tapestry, arts, culinary innovations, and diverse neighborhoods to move the city beyond its traditional beach-centric image and appeal to a broader well-traveled audience that our team defined as an Urban Explorer—a visitor excited to experience many facets of the city, from beaches and the outdoors to cultural neighborhoods, arts and dining.
The strategic shift recommended was to take San Diego from California’s Beach City to a Cultural Hub that Welcomes the World. To get there, the plan focused on six key opportunities: Culinary & Culture; The Big Outdoors, which embraced sustainability initiatives; Sports, Meetings & Events; Mobility; Business & Workforce Development; and Governance & Management. Recommendations and a roadmap to achieve the opportunities were included.
In late 2024, the SDTA released the 10-Year Stewardship Plan to the public, officially kick starting work on the recommendations that will lead the city to its 2034 goals.
You may also be interested in...
An Inspiring Platform Aligning Economic Development, Tourism and Talent Attraction