SAN ANTONIO – Concerns over the spread of COVID-19 has led to five canceled conventions planned in San Antonio this fall, according to the city’s tourism bureau.
Visit San Antonio officials confirmed the cancelations and said the events would have brought in roughly $21.3 million to San Antonio hotels and businesses. The events would have brought a total of 17,500 attendees to San Antonio and booked 45,633 hotel room nights.
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The total impact on tourism in San Antonio is likely greater, as several other events and concerts have been canceled in the past few months due the spread of the virus.
Despite the pandemic, officials are hopeful that tourism will bounce back in 2022, with more than 40 citywide meetings planned.
“While the rise of the Delta variant in recent weeks has heightened concern from some conferences about gathering en masse during this time, Visit San Antonio continues to promote science and that it is safe to have events of all sizes in our city,” said Marc Anderson, President and CEO of Visit San Antonio. “In fact, the Texas High School Coaches Association in July welcomed a record attendance of more than 14,000. Our destination is constantly lauded by media and convention attendees as friendly, warm and accommodating, and that comfort level is built on a reassuring dedication to the welfare of all.”
Though more events and meetings are getting canceled, there are still signs of a bounceback in the tourism industry.
Visit San Antonio said hotel occupancy numbers grew to 73.9% in July, only 3.5% lower than numbers posted in July 2019, before the pandemic.
COVID-19 trends have been improving in San Antonio, with hospitalizations dropping below 1,000 for the first time since early August.