Itching to get outside and enjoy the beautiful summer weather?
Visit San Antonio launched its new initiative, Si San Antonio, to give locals and tourists a change of scenery while still staying safe in the wake of the pandemic. Plus, you’ll be helping the food bank.
Si San Antonio includes 150 individual offers from hotels, local attractions, museums and restaurants for families to enjoy.
The tourism and hospitality industry in San Antonio ranks as the third-largest in the city.
The coronavirus impact has battered several valuable financial avenues for the city budget, including the Hotel Occupancy Tax. The tax provides millions for the city, and funds not only Visit San Antonio, but convention facilities, arts and culture and historical preservation.
“There are so many people that are furloughed or laid off in the industry sector,” said Casandra Matej, CEO and president of Visit San Antonio. “We want to get it moving so those people can come back to work. It benefits all of us because those visitors stay in our hotels, they shop, dine (and) go to the museums. They pay into the sales tax, which helps the general fund of the city. I think it’s very important that we responsibly move forward to get reopened.”
According to Visit San Antonio, the hospitality industry employs one of every seven working San Antonians.
For those who stay in one of the hotels participating in the Si San Antonio campaign, 10% of the rates for those using the promotion will go to benefit the San Antonio Food Bank.
Businesses in the Si San Antonio campaign include Andretti Indoor Karting and Games, Briscoe Western Art Museum, Chicken N Pickle, City Sightseeing SA Hop-On-Hope-off Tours, Extreme Escape, Battalion, Deco Pizzeria, Iron Cactus, Ostra, Courtyard by Marriott and Drury Inn.
“We know that the number one travel that’s going to come back is leisure travel,” Matej said. “People are going to stay close to home. Hopefully, by the end of summer, people will be taking that family vacation.”