SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio downtown business community dependent on tourism is optimistic after the first two weeks of spring break started strong.
Stephanie Villarreal, manager at Five and Dime gift store near the San Antonio River Walk, was all smiles as she took care of the long line of customers on Wednesday afternoon.
“This is week two for us, and it’s been extremely busy. As you can see, our store is a little packed here,” she said.
Villarreal said business is almost to pre-pandemic levels. With COVID-19 cases down, she says many more people feel comfortable going out and exploring.
“It’s great for business. It’s great for the tourists to come out and get some air and leave their house,” she said.
The general manager at the Hilton Palacio del Rio said official occupancy numbers for March would be out next month. He said things are looking good so far, with what he estimates is about an 80%-90% occupancy rate.
San Antonio will host the South Regional NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament next week. The summer then follows.
The hope for the local tourism industry is that Texans watching their gas spending but looking for a getaway will head to San Antonio.
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