San Diego is one of the top domestic travel destinations and was recently placed with Paris and Mozambique as one of the world’s 10 must-visit destinations for 2008 by Concierge.com, the travel site owned by publishing powerhouse Conde Nest Publications. And the arts and culture scene is a reason there is a “buzz” about San Diego. It is the vibrant cultural offerings that make San Diego a vibrant city for locals and visitors.

Since its inception 20 years ago, the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture (Commission) has recognized the importance of Cultural Tourism to the region's overall economic health. To ensure that the region's arts and cultural assets are promoted outside the local market, the Commission has played a leadership role and works with the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau (ConVis) and the California Travel and Tourism Commission (CTTC) to include arts and culture activities into the broader tourism marketing strategies. Past efforts have included the promotion of themed itineraries with the goal of extending visitor stays in San Diego as well as the promotion of the City's neighborhood assets as viable cultural tourism attractions.

San Diego was one of the first cities to create a Cultural Tourism department within a convention and visitors bureau. In 1998, the Commission and ConVis hosted the first ever conference for cultural tourism industry leaders, which has grown and continues to meet each year. A marketing and promotion program entitled San Diego Art + Sol, kicked off in 2000, was an unprecedented cooperative partnership that included 11 of San Diego's leading arts and culture organizations, the Commission, ConVis, San Diego Magazine, NBC 7/39 and American Express.

Today, the heart of the program, www.sandiegoartandsol.com, continues to promote arts and culture organizations and events throughout San Diego county. With links to over 500 local arts and culture organizations, more than 15 cultural itineraries, and the most comprehensive and up-to-date calendar with thousands of arts and culture events, this site continues to assist both the local market and the tourism industry in ensuring that arts and culture continues to place San Diego on the “world-class, international cultural destination” map.

San Diego Art + Sol

2008 San Diego Cultural Tourism Summit III: Know IT and Grow IT Presentation
PDF: 13.9Mb  PowerPoint: 45.0Mb

For more information on Cultural Tourism, contact Victoria Hamilton at vhamilton@sandiego.gov or 619-236-6778.